The Chicago Bulls were not heavily favored in every single NBA Finals appearance they made during their dominant championship runs in the 1990s. While they entered series against teams like the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz with high expectations, their very first Finals appearance in 1991 against the heavily experienced Los Angeles Lakers featured intense skepticism from pundits questioning whether Chicago was ready to unseat a reigning dynasty. Similarly, their matchups against the Seattle SuperSonics and the veteran-laden Utah Jazz squads were fiercely contested, proving that their championship legacy was forged through hard-fought battles rather than guaranteed victories.