DeMarcus Cousins (Photo : Getty Images Sport)
The Lunar New Year is often called Chinese New Year in other countries. In places with a sizable Chinese population, even sports teams join the fun.
In the NBA, many teams will commemorate cultural holidays and the Sacramento Kings wanted to start the ball rolling. Being the capital of California which has probably the most diverse population among all states, they need to acknowledge the Chinese/Asian population.
This is why they had a promotion for the fans attending at Sleep Train Arena where they will receive a free T-Shirt adorned with the team's colors and a "Year of the Monkey design. The Lunar New Year is not until February 8 but the Kings want to get a head start.
Lunar New Year celebration tonight at Sleep Train Arena. cc: @kfippin pic.twitter.com/P4AzTNuyj3
— James Ham (@James_Ham) February 2, 2016
However, DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings resident superstar noticed a coincidence. February is also Black History Month and on February 1, the first day of that month, it might not be a very good message to have shirts that have Year of the Monkey on that occasion even if they are not related. "Monkey" was considered a racial slur to the African-American populace. As Ball Don't Lie recounts, Cousins talked with Milwaukee Bucks commentator Marques Johnson and the latter recalled that on his Facebook account with his caption. "I walk into the building and DeMarcus Cousins calls me over to an animated discussion he's having with Kings operations people. He ask me, "Olskool, what you think about this T Shirt? Told him a little insensitive on 1st day of Black History Month". They pulled the shirts..."
DeMarcus voices his displeasure and to the Kings credit they pull the Monkey T Shirts... pic.twitter.com/bHSz4KVinh — Marques Johnson (@olskool888) February 2, 2016
The decision was reached when Cousins brought it up to the team officials and as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee recounts, they collected the t-shirts before the gates were opened. Jones talked to Kings president Chris Granger.
"We all need a lesson in sensitivity," Granger said. "In an effort to celebrate Chinese New Year, we had some concerns about the T-shirt giveaway, so we pulled them all before the doors opened. Certainly we don't want to offend anybody, and we acted as soon as we heard the concern."
The Sacramento Kings will just have to find some other way to celebrate Chinese New Year.
