Products You May Like
Tyger Campbell is truly one of a kind.
Whether it’s due to his unusual name, eye-catching haircut, diminutive stature or intelligent style of play, Campbell tends to stand out when he’s on the floor.
He has been a standout for the Bruins this season as they look to reach the Final Four for the second time in three years. The senior guard averaged 13.4 points and led the team with 4.9 assists per game in the 2022-23 regular season.
He didn’t make a shot from the field against Northwestern in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but he went a perfect 12 of 12 from the line. Those points proved invaluable in a 68-63 win that advanced the Bruins to the Sweet 16.
TSN’s MARCH MADNESS HQ
Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Predictor tool
“He’s not tall, he’s not the fastest guy, he doesn’t jump out of the gym, but he just finds a way to get it done,” UCLA head coach Mick Cronin said after the victory. “My respect for him is off the charts because he isn’t as good an athlete as the guys he plays against. And he’s smaller than them. And he outplays most of them.”
Here’s the story behind his unique name, which has helped make him a recognizable figure in the world of college basketball:
How did Tyger Campbell get his name?
The inspiration for his name was golfing legend Tiger Woods.
According to Campbell’s mother, Jennifer, she and her husband were watching Woods on television in a hospital room in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when she had the idea.
MORE: Watch NCAA Tournament games live with Sling TV
“I was watching ESPN when I was giving birth and I was like, ‘What would be a cool name to be heard when a sportscaster is calling out his name?'” she told the Los Angeles Times. “We were saying names out loud and we picked Tiger, and obviously we’re watching Tiger Woods and we’re like, ‘Tiger, duh, it’s a great name.'”
The tournament they were watching was the 2000 Mercedes Championship at Kapalua, which Woods won in a playoff against Ernie Els. It was the 16th PGA Tour win of his young career. Today, that number stands at 82 wins.
Campbell’s father, Tony, was the one who had the idea to change the “i” to a “y” as a way to differentiate the name.
MORE: National championship, Final Four odds for each of the remaining 16 teams
Tyger’s siblings — brothers Trez and Tey and sister Teeyha — are also named after sports figures, according to the New York Times. However, it’s unclear which athletes were the inspirations for their names.
Tyger and his UCLA teammates will be in action Thursday night in the Sweet 16 against Gonzaga at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.