NBA Legend Larry Bird Blasts WNBA Over MVP Snub of Kelsey Mitchell..

NBA Legend Larry Bird Blasts WNBA Over MVP Snub of Kelsey Mitchell..

In a fiery rant that echoed through basketball halls, Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird unleashed his unfiltered fury on the WNBA Sunday morning, lambasting the league for awarding the 2025 Kia MVP to Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson while snubbing Indiana Fever sharpshooter Kelsey Mitchell. “This is a joke—a straight-up robbery,” Bird thundered during a surprise appearance on ESPN’s pre-semifinals show, his gravelly voice cutting like a Hickory High fast break. “Kelsey’s carrying that Fever squad on her back through hell and injuries, dropping 20-plus a night like it’s nothing, and they hand it to A’ja again? The league’s got blind spots bigger than my old jump shot arc.”

The controversy erupted as the WNBA revealed its MVP finalists Friday: Wilson, Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, Atlanta’s Allisha Gray, Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas, and Mitchell. Wilson, already a three-time winner, clinched her fourth—tying her with legends like Sheryl Swoopes—thanks to her dominant 23.4 points and 2.3 blocks per game, powering the No. 2-seed Aces. But Mitchell’s case was ironclad: the eighth-year guard led the league in threes (111) and ranked second in scoring (20.2 PPG), totaling 890 points amid Indiana’s injury-plagued campaign that still landed them in the playoffs.

Bird, a three-time NBA MVP himself, didn’t mince words. “I know what it takes to be valuable—guts, clutch plays, elevating your team when the chips are down. Kelsey did that. Fever legend Tamika Catchings called it right weeks ago; now the suits in the league office are ignoring real hoops royalty.” His tirade drew cheers from Fever fans on X, where #JusticeForKelsey trended, but sparked backlash from Aces supporters praising Wilson’s all-around mastery.

At 69, the Hall of Famer—whose Celtics tenure mirrored the grit he demands—used the moment to bridge eras. “WNBA’s exploding, but don’t forget the shooters who light it up. Snub like this? It’ll bite ’em.” As semifinals tip off, Bird’s blast reminds: true icons speak truth, no matter the court.