Short answers, pulled from the story.
The competition began in April 1947 as the BAA Finals before merging with the National Basketball League to form the NBA. The series underwent several name changes including the NBA World Championship Series from 1950 to 1985 and briefly became known as the Showdown before settling on the current title in 1986.
The Boston Celtics won 11 of the 12 NBA Finals they reached during 13 seasons between 1957 and 1969. This dynasty included eight straight NBA championships from 1959 through 1966 led by center Bill Russell.
The Minneapolis Lakers won the inaugural NBA championship in 1950 to become the first team to repeat as champions. They had previously won the third and final BAA championship in 1949 over the Washington Capitals coached by Red Auerbach.
Stephen Curry holds the record for most career three-point field goals in Finals with 152 attempts. Nikola Jokić was named Finals MVP in 2023 becoming the lowest-drafted player at 41st overall to win the award.
The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in 2024 claiming their record of 18 NBA titles. The Los Angeles Lakers hold 17 titles tying them with the Celtics before the 2024 victory broke the tie.