I will always fight the concept that you can judge a player’s ability by how many championships he’s won.

The absurdity was obvious Thursday night. Yes, Kobe Bryant won another ring. He was MVP of the series, too. But am I the only one who noticed he went 6 for 24 from the floor last night? Certainly ABC didn’t want to deliver that news, as it came very sparingly throughout the game. Guy was horrible. Shot selection was terrible and his shot making was even worse.

If the Lakers had lost, he’d have been the goat. But they won — and somehow he gets the credit for it. Fact is, the other guys — Derek Fisher, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol — stepped up and carried Bryant. No disgrace in that at all. It happens… but again, it merely points out that you need teammates to win.

And all the great players who toiled in the NBA for years without talent around them pay a heavy price for that. I mean, seriously — Oscar Robertson may be the best guard I’ve ever seen, but he didn’t win a title until he found Kareem Abdul-Jabbar late in his career.

After all these years people — even some of them outside of Boston — think Bill Russell was better than Wilt Chamberlain simply because of all the titles Russell won. Nothing against Bill, but if you ever watched the two men play there would be no doubt in your mind which was the more talented player.

Russell was blessed to play for a team that had cornered the market on talent in the NBA, while having the best coach and front office in the league.

I’m not a Kobe hater. I think he’s the best player in basketball and probably just about as talented as the player — Michael Jordan — he has copied, in almost everything from his walk to his step-back jumper.

But I guess I would tend to judge how good he is by his actual performance — in big games like a Game 7 in the NBA Finals — rather than the contributions of his teammates, which won him that last ring.

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I think Greg Oden is doing a good job of watching the NBA game and picking up things as he goes. But one thing that Joel Przybilla does that I wish Oden wouldn’t do is try to draw charging fouls.

I’ve never liked seven-footers flopping, anyway. I don’t remember Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain or even Bill Walton doing that. I think big guys would be wise to keep distance from players driving to the hoop, then block their shot — rather than attempt to take a charge.

Oden doesn’t need all that body contact. It’s how the last injury came about. Heck, more than half the time he isn’t going to get the call, anyway.

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People are already making fun of the accurately nicknamed “Big Baby” Davis, sobbing and sulking on the Boston bench last night after being screamed at by his teammate, Kevin Garnett. It’s just one more incident that gives you some insight into Garnett’s personality. Of course, most of the country probably believes what we saw in the nationally televised game Friday night was just one more example of Garnett’s sterling leadership. Tough love, is what one of the commentators called it.

Yeah, right. In most cases, that kind of stuff is not leadership. It’s just a guy being a jerk or it’s some sort of act, showing everyone how powerful he is. And Garnett — who comes off as a borderline psycho and a bully – is good at that. Of course, he’s always excused because he’s a great player. But understand, losing your temper and embarrassing teammates in front of standing-room-only crowds and a national television audience is not leadership. It’s an ego running amok.

When I look around at great leaders, in sports, business or politics, I don’t see a lot of people behaving like this maniac. As great as he is as a player, I bet he’s a real handful to coach. If an opponent doesn’t pop him in the nose one of these days, a couple of his teammates will. If body language is any indication, it looks to me as if most of the guys on his team are tired of his act, too.

Ladies and gentleman, the measure of what a great competitor you are is not how much you scream, yell, growl or snarl. You can compete just as hard with a mask of stoicism. You can compete just as hard with a smile on your face. People used to understand that. Fans and competitors alike used to respect the quiet dignity of the likes of Bill Russell, Jimmy Brown, Oscar Robertson or Joe DiMaggio. That was the standard. Now, because they don’t make a public spectacle of themselves during a game, those guys would probably be accused of not caring.

Again, this makes me look like a cranky old timer. Maybe. I think it merely means I value civility. And I worry that when kids watch Garnett pull this junk on television and is praised for it, we’re creating a whole bunch of mini-Garnetts, who can’t wait to get out on the field or court and belittle their teammates in the name of leadership.

Spare me.

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Hard to believe, but there is an entire generation of basketball fans growing up thinking that when you introduce a team prior to a game, you must turn off the lights in the arena, play loud music, put together an elaborate video presentation, shoot off a few fireworks and then watch as the players leap in the air and bump butts with each other, or dance around, or whatever, as they are introduced. They look like a bunch of guys who just heard they won the lottery — or a date with Tony Parker’s wife.

I’m seeing a lot of acrobatics by the players and I would suggest it’s gotten to the point when somewhere, someone is going to sprain his ankle or blow out a knee just running toward the team huddle and leaping up to bump chests, hips or rear ends with a teammate — all of that, by the way, stuff that would make you an outcast when I was a kid. And no, I’m not one of those grumpy old guys who is yelling at the grandkids, “You’re going to put your eye out with that thing,” everytime I see them running around with a carrot stick in their hand.

Hey, all I’m saying is that it makes more sense to jump around like a fool when you have something bigger to celebrate than hearing your name on a loudspeaker.

I’m not going to even suggest players should stop doing that stuff – that train left the station quite a while back. I’m here merely to point out that it hasn’t always been that way. I mean, can you imagine Bill Russell, for example, being introduced prior to the game and then skipping into the huddle like Rasheed Wallace and then leaping up and planting a big butt bump on a teammate? He’d sooner retire. Same with Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or any number of other great — yet dignified — players. I crack up when I try to picture Russell jumping up and bashing butts with Bob Cousy prior to a Celtics game.

I come from the days when cool was the rule, folks. You walked out, shook a few hands. absorbed the applause and then played the game. This brings us to Greg Oden, which a lot of discussions seem to do around here. I recently heard someone saying he didn’t look too “pumped up” or “excited” about games because during the player introductions he just kind of trotted out and slapped a few hands.

God love you, Greg. Maybe it will start a trend. Save every ounce of energy for the games. Protect your body to better withstand the punishment you get every time someone passes you the ball. Be cool . . . and let the other teams win the intros.

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