Report: Kings pull 'year of the monkey' shirts at Cousins' request
The Sacramento Kings pulled the plug on a scheduled T-shirt giveaway at Sleep Train Arena on Monday night after All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins reportedly expressed concerns over the shirt's design.
The Kings were set to give away shirts commemorating the Chinese New Year - and specifically the year of the monkey, which begins Feb. 8 - for their game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but are said to have thought better of it once Cousins suggested it might be insensitive on the first day of Black History Month.
Bucks TV analyst and former NBA All-Star Marques Johnson encountered Cousins while the big man brought the matter to the Kings' attention.
I walk into the building and DeMarcus Cousins calls me over to an animated discussion he's having with Kings operations...
Posted by Marques Johnson on Monday, February 1, 2016
Arena staff were later seen removing the shirts from seats before fans arrived.
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
Every team is required to commemorate the Chinese Lunar New Year, and the Kings obviously felt they were still able to do so without the shirts once their franchise player voiced his concern.
Cousins, a two-time All-Star, sat out Monday's victory over the Bucks with a sprained ankle.