header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 16
2003 - Lifesize sculpture honoring heroes of St. Francis Dam disaster unveiled in Santa Paula [video]
The Warning


| Monday, Jan 27, 2020
kobe - Saugus boys basketball coach Alfredo Manzano (left) and his family had the opportunity to meet the late Kobe Bryant. | Photo courtesy Alfredo Manzano.
Saugus boys basketball coach Alfredo Manzano (left) and his family had the opportunity to meet the late Kobe Bryant. | Photo courtesy Alfredo Manzano.

 

Junior Camacho was raised as a die-hard Lakers fan; as a kid, he sat on the couch with his dad and watched every game, paying special attention to Kobe Bryant.

When Camacho wasn’t watching the games, he was outside mimicking Bryant’s signature moves to the best of his 5-year-old body’s ability.

On Sunday, Camacho saw Bryant on TV once again, but this time his emotions were much different.

“I broke down and started crying,” said Camacho, who plays basketball for Valencia High School.

Kobe Bryant and several other people, including his daughter Gianna, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Sunday morning. Bryant was 41 and his daughter was 13.

The Santa Clarita Valley prep basketball community, along with the basketball community as a whole, is grieving the loss. Some coaches, like Saugus boys coach Alfredo Manzano, were too emotional to speak when contacted for interview.

“His mentality was just great,” Camacho said. “I loved his work ethic and he never backed down. Even if something bad happened, he fought through it and kept going … I worked on the same moves just to be like him and try to get the same work ethic.”

Vikings coach Bill Bedgood sent a group text message to his team as soon as he heard of Bryant’s death. Growing up, Bedgood watched Michael Jordan and recognized the similar role that Bryant took on for his players.

“For the generation of players I coach, it’s been Kobe,” Bedgood said. “Kobe was that huge star that everybody wanted to shoot like and play like and be like. When he changed his number from 8 to 24 guys were so excited because they could wear his number on a high school team.”

Golden Valley girls basketball coach Sixx Johnson had the opportunity to play basketball against Bryant, who had freshly moved to L.A., at Balboa Park when they were both 17 years old.

Although his NBA career wasn’t full-fledged quite yet, Johnson got to experience Bryant’s competitive nature firsthand.

“He was really confident, you could see it then,” Johnson said. “He was on another level. He walked around with that chip on his shoulder and you knew he was a competitor. You could tell he was always about business and wanted to dominate anyone who was in front of him in the court.”

Johnson also admired what Bryant was beginning to do for the prep basketball community, whether it was coaching Gianna’s team or opening Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.

“Just being a fan of sports and the fan of fathers in their kids’ lives,” Johnson said, “I thought that was huge to have that facility fairly locally. It was huge what he was doing for the sport. It was going to get even bigger as time went on … It just sucks that we had to miss out on such a promising first phase of (Gianna’s) life and second phase of Kobe’s life.”

Hart boys basketball’s Ty Penberthy had the opportunity to work out at the Mamba Sports Academy every day this summer and said that it was a pristine facility that Bryant had worked had to develop.

Penberthy’s father, Mike, was a teammate of Bryant’s on the Lakers. Penberthy had a few interactions with Bryant growing up and head stories from Mike about his competitiveness.

“Tons of stories of him in practice just competing and going at it and he did everything he could to win,” Penberthy said. “On the court, he was a competitive and off the court he was a great guy.”

Camacho will never see Bryant on live television again. He’ll never see his vision for prep basketball come to fruition. But he’ll also never be able to shed the work ethic and skills that were inspired by his idol.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

1 Comment

  1. Demfy says:

    I was at home when I heard the news, around 8pm GMT. I’d just sat down on the sofa for a rest and opened the Instagram app to see a photo of Kobe Bryant and something like ‘RIP to the greatest’ from another NBA player. I was a bit confused, but didn’t want to make any assumptions to opened BBC News where the headline was ‘NBA Legend Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash’.

    It’s the first time in my life that I’ve been saddened to the brink of tears on hearing of the death of somebody I never met.

    When I was younger a family friend got me into basketball. It’s not that big in the UK. At the time Michael Jordan was at his prime and I loved watching Michael play. Then I remember seeing a young kid – who probably looked the same age as me at the time, ~13 – playing for the LA Lakers and that was it, from that moment on I was a Lakers and Kobe fan.

    Since my mid-teens he’s been my idol. He was the greatest player ever to me, and really seems to be a good guy away from the game too.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration Time 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Progress: 0%
Stream TypeLIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Friday, Mar 14, 2025
March 15: Lumpia Eating Contest at Island Pacific Santa Clarita
Island Pacific Santa Clarita is gearing up for a celebration of National Lumpia Day with a lumpia-eating contest on Saturday, March 15, from 3-6:30 p.m.
Friday, Mar 14, 2025
March 26: SCV Water Hosts Public Workshop on Water Use Efficiency Plan
In support of “Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life,” the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency is developing a Water Use Efficiency Strategic Plan to establish a comprehensive water conservation strategy.
Friday, Mar 14, 2025
April 5: Annual Walk 4 MHF Help Kids Fight Cancer at Central Park
The Michael Hoefflin Foundation for Children’s Cancer invites the community to join the annual "Walk 4 MHF Help Kids Fight Cancer" to help raise awareness and support local families affected by childhood cancer.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
2003 - Lifesize sculpture honoring heroes of St. Francis Dam disaster unveiled in Santa Paula [video]
The Warning
1942 - Emery Whilton's Florafaunium opens in Lebec [story]
Florafaunium
Today in SCV History (March 15)
After the January wildfires, the county began a review to assess our evacuation policies and emergency alert systems. The state has also commissioned a review of our preparedness efforts, immediate response to the fires and the recovery time frame of the incident.
Kathryn Barger | Wildfire Analysis
Island Pacific Santa Clarita is gearing up for a celebration of National Lumpia Day with a lumpia-eating contest on Saturday, March 15, from 3-6:30 p.m.
March 15: Lumpia Eating Contest at Island Pacific Santa Clarita
The regular meeting of the Saugus Union School District Governing Board of Trustees will be held Tuesday, March 18 beginning at 6:30 p.m.
March 18: Saugus School Board to Receive Measure EE Annual Report
After a successful pilot program in the Saugus Union School District, School Day Café has expanded the use of a new, eco-friendly serving tray option across all Santa Clarita Valley elementary schools.
SCV Elementary School Lunches Offered on Eco-friendly Serving Trays
In support of “Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life,” the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency is developing a Water Use Efficiency Strategic Plan to establish a comprehensive water conservation strategy.
March 26: SCV Water Hosts Public Workshop on Water Use Efficiency Plan
College of the Canyons Women's Tennis got back in the win column with an 8-1 conference road win at Glendale College.
Canyons Gets Back in the Win Column 8-1 at Glendale
The Michael Hoefflin Foundation for Children’s Cancer invites the community to join the annual "Walk 4 MHF Help Kids Fight Cancer" to help raise awareness and support local families affected by childhood cancer.
April 5: Annual Walk 4 MHF Help Kids Fight Cancer at Central Park
The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society has announced that the St. Francis Dam Tour scheduled for Saturday, March 15 has been postponed until Saturday, April 26.
March 15: St. Francis Dam Tour Postponed Due to Rain
The city of Santa Clarita is enhancing local roadways with the upcoming 2024-2025 Citywide Major Thoroughfare Median Refurbishment Project on Plum Canyon Road.
City of Santa Clarita to Refurbish Plum Canyon Road Medians
The Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center is preparing for the annual fundraising Celebrity Waiter Dinner to be held Saturday, April 26 at the Bella Vida Senior Center.
April 26: Celebrity Waiter Dinner to Feature ‘Broadway Lights’ Theme
2000 - Time capsule buried at Newhall Metrolink station [Station Grand Opening Video]
Newhall Metrolink
As you drive through Santa Clarita, you may have noticed something exciting, new projects are taking shape all around the city.
Patsy Ayala | From Groundbreakings to Grand Openings
The Soroptimist International of Greater Santa Clarita Valley 16th Annual Wine Affair: Wine, Beer and Cheer Big Hat Bash will be held Sunday, April 6 on Main Street in Old Town Newhall from noon to 5 p.m.
April 6: The 16th Annual Wine Affair Big Hat Bash
The city of Santa Clarita's art exhibition, "Saddle Up Santa Clarita" will run through Wednesday, May 14 at Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd., Valencia, CA 91355.
‘Saddle Up Santa Clarita’ Art Exhibition in City Hall
The William S. Hart Union High School District has announced that 10 high school seniors have been named National Merit Scholarship Finalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Hart District Announces National Merit Scholarship Finalists
The Master's University Theater Arts presents 'The Importance of Being Earnest' by Oscar Wilde Fridays and Saturdays, March 21-29 at The Master's University, Music Recital Hall at 24736 Quigley Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91321.
March 21-29: TMU Theater Arts Presents ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’
Beginning Monday, March 17, at 6 a.m., Jet will be hosting “Jet into Work,” on 88.5-FM, The SoCal Sound which will lend a fun and upbeat start to listeners’ mornings.
The SoCal Sound to Present ‘Jet into Work’ Radio Show
Safely dispose of household hazardous waste and electronic waste for free 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Saturday, April 5 at the College of the Canyons Valencia Campus, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
April 5: Free HHW, E-Waste Disposal at COC
The Music Center has announced 113 of Southern California’s most talented high school students have advanced in The Music Center’s 37th Annual Spotlight program, which includes three students from the Santa Clarita Valley.
Three from SCV Earn Music Center Spotlight Recognition
The track and field teams at The Master's University began their 2025 outdoor campaign at the Occidental Spring Break Classic on Saturday, March 8. Multiple qualifiers were added and a school record fell in the men's 4x100m relay.
TMU Track Opens Outdoor Season at Oxy
Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo has announced the introduction of the Roads to Resilience Act, AB 1132, a piece of legislation designed to prioritize the needs of communities disproportionately impacted by climate disasters.
Schiavo Introduces Bill to Improve Evacuation in At-Risk Areas
College of the Canyons baseball claimed its first conference win in a 10-5 affair over Citrus College at Mike Gillespie Field on Tuesday, March 10.
Cougars Pick Up First Conference Win 10-5 Over Citrus
SCVNews.com