The Emperor Reigns Supreme, Crowned

The Finals were about to begin, and as usual, experts and the media started making their predictions.

The result was surprising: almost everyone favored the Pelicans this year.

"LeBron and his Cavaliers are very strong, but the Pelicans are clearly the stronger team and in better form."

O'Neal said bluntly on TNT.

"I can't find a single reason for the Pelicans to lose the Finals. At best, the Cavaliers are on the same level as the Warriors, and the Pelicans swept them."

ESPN columnist Kyle Pelton analyzed it this way.

"The games may be intense, but the Pelicans will be the winning side. That is a fact everyone can see."

FOX Sports columnist Jason Whitlock used that description while analyzing the matchup in the news section.

It was not just the media. In pregame fan polls, more than 80 percent of fans believed the Pelicans would win the championship.

As for score predictions, 4-1 was considered the most likely outcome.

When the Pelicans won 74 games, fans had been shocked, but they also felt there had been quite a bit of luck involved.

But their dominant Playoffs run immediately afterward completely dispelled that notion.

The Pelicans were simply strong. It was that simple.

With the Finals about to begin, however, the Pelicans received some unfavorable news.

Davis's recovery was slower than expected, and he would miss the first game of the Finals.

Perhaps because of that, while everyone outside the team favored the Pelicans, Betting websites gave the Cavaliers lower odds than the Pelicans for the Opening Game.

On June 2, U.S. time, the Finals Opening Game officially tipped off at New Orleans Arena.

The arena was packed, and commentators from around the world were in position from the very start.

Not only in the United States, but also across