What does "could have been hurt" mean? Further - what if you instigate? Does that count?
You can go on youtube and see Bird having fist fights. Everyone else's fault, right? Bird was a non-instigator every time? FIST FIGHTS. FIST FIGHTS. FIST FIGHTS. One of them with Dr J!! There's an interview with DR J and Michael Kaye and he was asked "IS there a player you wanted to punch in the mouth?" And he said "Larry Bird." You think Bird was playing clean?
I loved Larry Bird but imo your revising history and / or creating a double-standard. .
Larry Bird I love him to death but he was an instigator. He didn't have the athtticsm so he used his wits, his body to throw players off but he played dirty and he instigated with his both his body and his mouth. But ofc ":how you look" matters more, right?