Observing two cultural celebrations at the same time can lead to controversy, the Sacramento Kings learned this week.
On Monday night, the N.B.A. team hastily removed free “Year of the Monkey” T-shirts for fans from arena seats after complaints that the giveaway was racially insensitive on the first night of Black History Month.
The Lunar New Year, an Asian festival that starts on Monday in the United States, is the highlight of the Chinese calendar. Each year is based on a symbol of the Chinese horoscope, and this is the year of the monkey, the ninth of 12 animals in the cycle.