I won't lie that I'm enjoying a bit of Schadenfreude about Kobe's recent performance. As I noted, he's shooting as well as the 1960's Minneapolis Lakers, who were the worst shooting team in the NBA at the time. In 2013, Kobe did have an impressive "bounce back" season. Since then his numbers have been bad, and any fan that thinks he can help any team is fooling themselves.
I think the Lakers were foolish to sign him to his now NBA-leading contract a few years back, especially as they did it while he was injured. I think the Lakers were foolish to essentially let Dwight Howard slip through their fingers when they decided to let Kobe "keep control of the team." That said, I'm actually on Kobe's side in regards to still playing, still collecting a paycheck, and trying to remain relevant in NBA news -- really Kobe, you're staying "loyal to Lakers"? Are you sure you don't mean there isn't a team in the NBA that would come near you? Also, I don't think you're allowed to brag about loyalty when you demanded a trade right before your team built a contending squad. I digress.
Athletes have short career spans. We know this, this has been true for the history of the NBA. Despite the fact that Kobe is an anomaly, he's still probably going to retire before his career turns old enough to drink. And once Kobe's retired, the odds that he'll find a job paying close to his NBA levels are low. Sure there are coaching and broadcast jobs, but those are even rarer than NBA jobs. In a few years, Kobe will go from being a name discussed daily to the answer to various trivia questions.
Once Kobe retires, his career is done. If he wants to keep playing and getting the attention, why shouldn't he keep on chucking, despite his frequent misses? Why shouldn't he fuel trade rumors that make the casual NBA fan's "Who says no?" scenarios seem reasonable? If a team is willing to offer Kobe a paycheck and a starting spot, he should take it. If a news organization is willing to give Kobe a microphone, he should talk. Is it irrational? You betcha! But making the NBA is irrational. To put the time and commitment required to be an NBA player, while knowing your odds are slim at best is already silly.
No athlete can beat father time. We don't have to tell them this. It becomes obvious on its own. Unless the Lakers do something really crazy, or Kobe has some amazing dirt on the Buss family, after this season he'll likely be done as a franchise cornerstone. But until that happens, I have no problem with him trying to soak up as much as he can. He's never going to get to again once it's done.