Robbie Valentine, a member of Louisville’s 1986 NCAA title team, pleads guilty to assault

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Robbie Valentine, a member of Louisville's 1986 NCAA championship team, pleaded guilty on Monday to a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault.

Valentine, who was initially charged with felony strangulation, will be able to have his plea set aside and dismissed, if he stays out of trouble for the next two years. He is also required to get counseling, according to court records.

After dismissal, the charge would be eligible to be expunged, or erased from his record.

"Robbie is sorry for any embarrassment he caused his family or friends," said his attorney, Brian Butler. "He is very pleased to have this matter behind him and that this case will be expunged in two years. He looks forward to returning to his important work in this community with this matter behind him."

Valentine got into an argument with his girlfriend on Feb. 9 at dinner when she discussed moving out, according to a Louisville Metro Police arrest citation.

Valentine later slammed her phone down, dumped her purse in the sink, threw her off a bed and began strangling the woman, according to police.

The police report said the victim had redness and bruises on her neck.

The charge was initially 2nd-degree strangulation but upgraded to 1st-degree during his arraignment. It was amended to 4th-degree assault on Monday.

The arrest report noted alcohol was involved in the incident.

Valentine was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 2010 and 2019, according to court records.

Valentine, a consistent presence at UofL games over the years, works for ASM Global, which manages the KFC Yum! Center.

For more than 35 years, the Robbie Valentine Basketball Summer Camp has been a premiere youth summer camp in Louisville.

Valentine, a member of the UofL Hall of Fame, has raised over $250,000 for local charities and averages 450 speaking engagements a year at schools, banquets, and churches.

He was honored by the Radcliff City Council by having the street he grew up on named "Robbie Valentine Drive."

This story may be updated.