When Tatum read out those words, the entire New Orleans Arena and the whole city of New Orleans erupted into a sea of frenzy.
Four consecutive championships!
Officially announced!
They had done it!
Beyond the ancient-era Celtics, they had become the second team to win four consecutive championships!
Considering the number of teams in today's league and the development of the game, they were the first team to achieve this record!
In the 2015–2016 season, the starters were Holiday, Tang Tian, Ariza, Davis, and Jokic, with Dinwiddie, Bojan, Aminu, and Metta World Peace coming off the bench.
That was the Pelicans' season of revenge.
The previous year, they had been eliminated by the eventual champion Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, but they successfully got their revenge that season.
Afterward, they had even faced the league's pressure and played five against eight in the Finals.
Tang Tian exploded for 62 points through three quarters in Game 7, bringing home the first championship in franchise history.
That had also been Metta World Peace's final season with the Pelicans. After winning the title, he announced his retirement.
In the 2016–2017 season, the starters were Holiday, Tang Tian, Ariza, Davis, and Jokic, with Brogdon, Bojan, Joe Harris, Diop, and David West coming off the bench.
As the Defending Champions, the Pelicans went through a season where super teams rose across the Western Conference.
Durant joined the Warriors, Butler joined the Mavericks, and there were also the Rockets, who already had a Big Three.
But the Pelicans ultimately defeated them all, and with Tang Tian dealing with an injury, they beat the Cavaliers 4–1 for the second straight year to successfully defend their title!
That was also Tang Tian's first season averaging a Triple-Double, the peak that fans had thought was his limit.
In