World's Tallest Teenager at 7Foot9 Makes History as the World's Tallest College Basketball Player Anna Lazarus CaplanNovember 8, 2025 at 12:40 AM 0 Matt PendletonImagn Images Olivier Rioux Olivier Rioux played in his first college basketball game on Thursday, Nov. 6 The world's tallest teenager was inserted into the Florida GatorsNorth Florida game with 2:09 left to play The Gators sophomore sat out last year, during the team's national championship season Florida Gators basketball fans are champing at the "bit" after getting a taste of Olivier Rioux on the college court! The world's tallest t...
- - World's Tallest Teenager at 7-Foot-9 Makes History as the World's Tallest College Basketball Player
Anna Lazarus CaplanNovember 8, 2025 at 12:40 AM
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Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Olivier Rioux -
Olivier Rioux played in his first college basketball game on Thursday, Nov. 6
The world's tallest teenager was inserted into the Florida Gators-North Florida game with 2:09 left to play
The Gators sophomore sat out last year, during the team's national championship season
Florida Gators basketball fans are champing at the "bit" after getting a taste of Olivier Rioux on the college court!
The world's tallest teenager made his official debut on Thursday, Nov. 6 in a game against North Florida, after redshirting his freshman year, where he rode the defending national championship team's bench.
"It felt great," the 7-foot-9-inch center, 19, said about his first game. "The support from everybody was amazing, even on the bench and even the fans. I think everybody supported, and I'm very grateful."
The Canadian — who holds the Guinness record for world's tallest teen — stepped onto the court for the first time with 2:09 left to play in the non-conference game.
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Olivier Rioux didn't need a ladder to help cut down the net at last year's Final Four.
After Florida coach Todd Golden didn't play the big man in the team's opening game, a loss against No. 13 Arizona on Monday, Nov. 3, he relented on Thursday after fans began to give him the business at halftime.
"I said, 'Listen, it will happen, the time will come.' I can be stubborn," Golden said. "I don't listen to direction very well at times, so when they're yelling at me to do it, it's kinda like, 'Well, maybe I'll wait a little longer.' "
But fans weren't about to let last year's Naismith Coach of the Year finalist have the final say, chanting "We Want Ollie" until Rioux walked up to the scorer's table at O'Connell Center to check into the game.
Once inserted into the action, Rioux towered over everyone else, as was particularly apparent when he lined up next to his opponents during a free-throw attempt.
And while he didn't get a chance to touch the ball, he apparently brought the Gators good luck as the team throttled the Ospreys, 104-64.
For the sophomore athlete, standing tall is what he's done his entire life. In the sixth grade, Rioux stood at 6 feet, 11 inches.
As for his height, he told Guinness in 2022 that an explanation for his extreme stature has eluded many — even though he's got the genetics.
"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."
on People
Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: Sports
Published: November 07, 2025 at 09:27PM on Source: RED MAG
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