"I did not know that," Mason said, slightly amused. "Nobody told me that."

Indeed, when the Spurs were recruiting Mason during free agency last season, the fact that he'd get to hand his home gym over to livestock for a month every season wasn't part of the sales pitch.

In the time since joining the Spurs, however, Mason has learned all he needs to know about the team's annual February sojourn, made necessary by the arrival of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

"The guys say they've had some success on that trip, so there's a little bit of pressure," Mason said. "I want to be part of another winning road trip."

The Spurs' latest eight-game barnstorming tour of America begins tonight at Golden State. Before it is over, they will have set foot in nine NBA cities - including San Antonio - covered 10,761 air miles and played games in every U.S. time zone but their own.

If history holds, they will return home for a Feb. 24 game against Dallas to a pungent post-rodeo aroma, and steeled for the season's stretch run.

In the six seasons since the cows first came home to the AT&T Center, the Spurs are a combined 35-13 on their rodeo trips.

"We try to use the rodeo trip as a silver lining, to try to come together and realize it's tougher on the road," coach Gregg Popovich said. "You get a little bit of a bunker mentality, a little edge. It's a good test and a good measure of where we are and what has to be done by the time playoffs come. We look forward to that challenge."

The Spurs typically use their rodeo trip as a springboard into the rest of their season. It is the time when roles are firmed up, schemes are fine-tuned, purpose is hardened.

It is a time when the Spurs' internal clock seems to signal the arrival of the postseason, just around the bend.

"It's not like we have a new offense and a new defense when we go out on the road," Popovich said. "We enjoy it, because it gives us an opportunity to focus."

The Spurs hit the road riding one of their better rolls of the season. Since a disheartening loss to the NBA-leading Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 25, the Spurs have won three in a row, all against probable playoff teams, and two of them on the road.

Their most recent triumph, a 106-93 thumping of New Orleans on Saturday night that served as a going-away present for the home fans, left the Spurs out in front of the Southwest Division by three games. They still lag behind the Lakers by five games in the Western Conference race.

The Spurs have scored at least 100 points in three consecutive games, and seem to be getting into a bit of a groove - even as Popovich will continue to press his team for defensive improvements.

It is no secret that confidence is high in the Spurs' huddle these days.

"Even if you're winning or losing, the confidence level of the players is important," Popovich said. "When you're winning, it's a whole lot easier to feel good about your system and what you're doing - as long as we don't become too satisfied."

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, who has scored 52 points in his past two games, agrees. He predicts the rodeo trip, as per tradition, should go a long way toward defining the Spurs' season.

"We know full well these next eight games are huge for us," Ginobili said. "We're going to try and build, and hopefully we can keep doing what we've been doing."

And so, the Spurs are off on another rodeo-inspired jaunt. The rest of the season - and a familiar smell - will be waiting upon their return.

HIT THE ROAD

The Spurs begin their rodeo road trip today in Oakland. They'll play eight games over 20 days, with the All-Star break in the middle of the trip. Here is a look at other teams with road trips of at least seven games this season.

TEAM GAMES DATES

Bulls 7 Jan. 25-Feb. 7; Nov. 18-30

You know it's bad when you're second fiddle to Tinker Bell - "Disney on Ice" is in the United Center right now.

Nuggets 8 Feb. 4-22

The Pepsi Center will host a physical bunch of guys Feb. 19-21 - it's the state wrestling tournament.

Clippers 7 Jan. 30-Feb. 9

Baron Davis gives way to true A-listers on Feb. 8 - it's the Grammy Awards.

Lakers 7 March 21-April 1

Kobe does 360 jumps. So do stars of March 22-29 show - World Figure Skating Championships.

Heat 7 Jan. 7-18

Spurs are booted by cowboys, and the Heat were kicked out by elephants - circus was in town.

Frequent fliers

A look at the mileage the Spurs will rack up on their eight-game rodeo road trip, which runs from today through Feb. 21:

San Antonio to Oakland (Golden State): 1,479 miles

Oakland to Denver: 937

Denver to San Antonio (off days): 799

San Antonio to Boston: 1,756

Boston to New Jersey: 189

New Jersey to Toronto: 338

Toronto to San Antonio (All-Star break): 1,430

San Antonio to New York: 1,575

New York to Detroit: 484

Detroit to Washington, D.C.: 397

Washington to San Antonio (trip ends): 1,377

Totals: 10,761 miles, eight cities

Source: San Antonio Spurs