Tallest teenager makes impressive debut with Florida gators
The 18-year-old Canadian Olivier Rioux, standing at an impressive 7 feet 9 inches tall, is starting the season with the Florida Gators basketball team. He is the tallest player in the history of college basketball in the United States and a young man destined to join the NBA. He already surpasses the legends of the famous league.
Rioux, recognized by the Guinness World Records as the tallest teenager in the world, surpasses the previous NCAA record holder, Kenny George from UNC Asheville (7 feet 7 inches), who played from 2006 to 2008 by two inches.
His height also surpasses NBA legends: Romanian Gheorghe Muresan and the late Sudanese Manute Bol (both 7 feet 7 inches), the famous Chinese player Yao Ming (7 feet 6 inches), and current rising star Victor Wembanyama (7 feet 4 inches), the colleague of Jeremy Sochan from the San Antonio Spurs.
Rioux's exceptional height draws attention not only on the court but also off it.
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 – the basketball player admitted.
Although he has had this interest since childhood, he has learned to live with it. "That's just how it was, and you can't change that because people are curious," he adds.
Olivier hails from Terrebonne, in the province of Quebec. He started training in basketball at the age of five. In his family, tall stature is the norm—his mom is 6 feet 2 inches, his dad 6 feet 8 inches, and his older brother nearly 6 feet 10 inches.
Already in elementary school, he towered over most teachers. He was 6 feet tall as an eight-year-old, and by seventh grade, he exceeded 7 feet.
Coaches and teammates on the world's tallest teenager
The Florida Gators' coaches praise Rioux for his coordination and court movement. Despite his enormous height, the 18-year-old works hard to prepare as best he can for his debut in NCAA Division I.
That one we can see coming from a mile away. About 95 per cent of my conversations with random people about our team are about him. It's the first time we've been ranked since 2019 and it's like, 'Hey, Coach, we're really excited to see Oli out there this year.' And I get it, man. He's a very unique individual – emphasizes coach Todd Golden.
Having such a tall player also affects his teammates.
It's really weird looking up to someone. But being around him just about every day, it's just different when you're out in public with him. People normally ask me, 'You're so tall. Do you play basketball?' No one says a word to me [now]. Everyone just looks to him. It's kind of crazy. He doesn't shy away from it – notes Gators' centre Micah Handlogten, who himself is 7 feet 1 inch tall.
Rioux is aware of his impact on his surroundings but remains focused on developing his career. - Conversations with strangers are usually pleasant – he says. His goal is to continue working hard and to use his extraordinary potential on the court.
