Texas isn't too far from California, but it's nearly a five-hour flight from Sacramento, the capital of California, to the state's third-largest city.

In the team's special plane, Li Tianzheng was holding a pamphlet about Dallas, although he had been in the United States for two years, he didn't know much about these cities in the United States, so he was watching with interest at this time.

Texas ranks second in the United States in terms of economy and population, second only to California, and even higher than New York, while Dallas, as the third largest city in Texas, can also rank ninth in the United States after Houston and San Toanio. However, the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metropolis, which is formed by Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington, is a developed urban agglomeration and claims to be the largest metropolis in the southern United States.

For those who are not basketball fans, Dallas probably thinks of those western cowboy films in the United States, most of which are made in Texas, and Dallas is one of the important places.

But for many basketball fans, especially Chinese basketball fans, they know Dallas probably because of a team here, the Dallas Mavericks.

The team that caused successive defeats for the early Yao Mai duo left a deep impression on Chinese fans like the Jazz who followed, and the Mavericks swept the defending champion Lakers in the second round in '11 and defeated the Heat with the Big Three in the Finals to win the championship left a deep impression on basketball fans around the world.

The Dallas Mavericks, that's the next opponent the Kings will have to face.

"Lee, you seem to be in a good mood." Seeing that Li Tian was watching with relish, Robinson, who was sitting on the side, couldn't help but speak.

Li Tian nodded, he was indeed in a good mood, but he could see that Robinson didn't seem to be in a good mood, so he closed the booklet in his hand and asked, "Thomas, your mood doesn't look good." ”

"Lee, I'm very dissatisfied with my current situation." Robinson's brows furrowed slightly, and then without waiting for Li Tian to speak, he continued: "January is coming to an end, and in the previous season, on the last day of January, the league would announce the rookie challenge lineup. ”

After listening to it, Li Tian thought about it for a little time and knew what Robinson was worried about, Robinson didn't get many opportunities in the Kings, and Robinson's own advantages were not obvious in the NBA, so his playing time and statistics were not ideal, and it seemed a little difficult to enter the Rookie Challenge.

Li Tian had no choice but to comfort and said: "Thomas, the career is very long, and the rookie challenge is not all. ”

"Of course I know, but, Lee, according to the media's predictions, I'm probably the only one in the top seven in the draft who won't make it to the Rookie Challenge." Robinson's brow is still furrowed, before the draft, he was hailed by the media as the strongest instant combat force of this class of rookies, it is clear that Robinson himself has extremely high expectations, and now this gap is a little difficult for him to accept.

Seeing this, Li Tian knew that Robinson had begun to think about some of his own flaws, so he didn't directly say his previous thoughts about Robinson's shortcomings.

Patting Robinson, Li Tian said, "Man, I know you've realized something yourself, go fix it, and I think you'll have a huge improvement." ”

Seeing what Robinson was still thinking there, Li Tian didn't speak, after more than two years of getting along, Li Tian knew very well that Robinson was a hard-working person, if he could strengthen his own flaws, I believe it would not be difficult to gain a foothold in the NBA.

Li Tian immediately laughed dumbly, he hadn't played a few NBA games, but he began to find other people's flaws, probably this is a bystander.

After Li Tian and Robinson stopped talking, the cabin began to become quiet, and everyone was hurrying to rest. Halfway through the season, although the Kings are dominated by young players, everyone's physical fitness is not as good as at the beginning of the season, so they are all on the plane to take a break.

Almost every NBA player learns to fall asleep quickly on the plane, the only way to cope with the busy schedule and frequent travel, although Li Tian has not been in the NBA for a long time, but he has basically learned this skill, and it didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

The plane landed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and Li Tian followed the whole team to Dallas by bus. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is a shared airport between Dallas and Fort Worth, the fourth largest airport in the world, just over 20 kilometers from Dallas.

Staying at a hotel near the Mavericks' home stadium, the American Airlines Center, the Kings are officially on the road, and in fact most fans see the players sweating during the game, but for most NBA players, flying from city to city is the most tiring.

Of course, for these players in the NBA who have excellent physical fitness, these are just sensory fatigue, and there is no physical problem, no, Li Tian and Robinson had just settled down in the room when Whiteside came to the door.

"Lee, Thomas, are we going to a nightclub together?" Knocking on the door, Whiteside asked with a smile on his face.

In away games, it is generally two players who live in one room, and the team's core ball certainly has the right to ask for a separate room, and for substitute players like Li Tian, such a request is generally not mentioned.

Li Tian didn't reply, it was common for players to go to nightclubs to play, but Li Tian didn't like to go to nightclubs when playing away.

And Thomas Robinson, apparently he wasn't in a good mood yet, so he didn't say anything.

"Aren't you all going, it's not just me, and Marcus and Isaiah will go." Seeing that Li Tian and the two were silent, Whiteside continued.

"No, Hassan, I want to rest for a while." Hearing that Thorton and Thomas were going, Li Tian, who didn't really want to go, directly refused, Thorton didn't care, and Thomas couldn't go together at all.

Robinson on the other side also spoke at this time: "Hassan, I'm not going either." ”

"Alright then!" Hearing that Li Tian and the two were not going, Whiteside left directly.

"Hassan looks pretty happy." After Whiteside left, Robinson spoke suddenly.

"Maybe when Hassan doesn't get a contract, he'll start working hard." Li Tian smiled slightly, he knew what Robinson meant in his words, more than two years after entering the NBA, Whiteside was still a marginal player, but he didn't seem to take these to heart most of the time, just play when he should play, in fact, Li Tian felt that it was a pity that Whiteside wasted his talent like this.

"Perhaps, Lee, do you think you have any hope of playing today?" Robinson turned the conversation back to Li Tian, who was in a similar situation to Whiteside and basically didn't have many playing opportunities in his first season, but Robinson obviously didn't want Li Tian to stay like this.

Li Tian raised his eyebrows slightly, then shrugged his shoulders and said, "Who knows." ”