World's Tallest Teenager Is Set to Make College Basketball History

Mar. 15, 2025

Olivier Rioux on Oct. 18, 2024.Photo:AP Photo/John Raoux

AP Photo/John Raoux

By the time he turned 8 years old, Olivier Rioux was already towering over his classmates. Then, in sixth grade, he was 6 feet, 11 inches. When he reached a height of 7 feet, 5 inches at the age of 15, theGuinness World Recordsnamed him the tallest teenager on the planet.And now, the 18-years-old who stands at an unthinkable 7 feet, 9 inches is hoping to grow his skills on thebasketball courtand kickstart a potential NBA career.

After joining the Florida Gators as a “walk-on of choice,” the Quebecois teenager is set to make history when he takes the court this season, becoming “the tallest player in college basketball,” the team said in apreseason press release.

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“He’s more than just a 7-9 guy,” Gators head coach Todd Goldentoldthe Associated Press on Tuesday, Oct. 29, ahead of Rioux’s debut, which could happen on Monday, Nov. 4 during the team’s face-off against the South Florida Bulls. “He’s had some really good moments in practice, super coachable and I’m excited for him to get to this point next year and kind of see where we’re at.”

In the meantime, being so tall has already garnered him attention around both on and off the court. “You don’t have a single three seconds to yourself when you’re outside, which I was fine with because my brother and my dad are tall. And, as a family, we used to go out. That’s just how it was, and you can’t change that because people are curious,” Rioux told the AP about people asking him questions about his height.

When it comes to his towering stature, he toldGuinnessin 2022, “We’re still not 100% sure why I’m so tall — after investigation, doctors could only explain it with the genetics that my family has.” He added, “My father is 6’8, my mom is 6’2 and my older brother is 6’9. So we’re a pretty tall family.”

Olivier Rioux on Oct 18, 2024.AP Photo/John Raoux

While Rioux toldGuinnesshe loves “being the height I am,” the public attention can become as bothersome as one might think. In Florida’s media guide for the upcoming season, the player said if he could have a superpower, he’d choose “invisibility.”

Despite that, Rioux put his height to good use in sports, revealing toGuinnessthat “most of the time you can find me on the basketball court.” Noting that he’s been playing since he was a kid, Rioux said, “The opposing team would often question my age, because even as a 5-year-old I was much taller than the other kids.”

By age 12, he began playing internationally for the French Phenoms, according to theGlobe and Mail, and drew attention from NBA stars like Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, and Jamal Murray, who even once asked Rioux for a selfie – not the other way around.

According to the Gators, Rioux most recently played at IMG Academy in Florida and has been with Canada’s under-18 international squad since 2021, helping Team Canada win a bronze medal at both the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship and again at the 2023 Under-18 FIBA AmeriCup Championship.

source: people.com