Olivier Rioux
 Rioux in 2024 representing Team Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 32 – Florida Gators | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Center | ||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Southeastern Conference | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 2, 2006 Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 305 lb (138 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Florida (Redshirt) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Olivier Rioux (born February 2, 2006) is a Canadian college basketball player for the Florida Gators of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Guinness World Records declared him the tallest teenager in the world in 2021 when he measured 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) at age 15.[1] He now stands 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)[2] tall.
Early life and high school career
[edit]Olivier Rioux was born in Terrebonne on February 2, 2006, to Jean-François, a 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) photographer and former volleyball player, and Anne Gariépy, who is 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), and works at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). His 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) older brother, Émile, has also played basketball.[3][4] The family has resided in the Anjou borough of Montreal[4] and the suburb of Beloeil.
Rioux started playing basketball when he was five.[5] Both he and Émile played for multiple Canadian AAU teams.[citation needed] Rioux first gained attention while playing internationally for the French Phenoms at age 12 when he was 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m).[6] He played for Real Madrid prior to attending IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.[7][3] He also played for Canadian AAU team Brookwood Elite.[8]
College career
[edit]Rioux committed to play college basketball at the University of Florida.
He did not appear in any of the Gators' first four games of the 2024–25 season. After the fourth game, head coach Todd Golden told the Associated Press that Rioux was being redshirted, and that he had previously discussed the matter with Rioux, his family, and his AAU coach. The Gators went on to win the NCAA championship.[9]
National team career
[edit]Rioux first represented Canada at the youth level during the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Mexico. He helped Canada win bronze at the tournament, finishing with averages of 8.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.[10] A year later, he played for Canada at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup in Spain. He finished the competition with averages of 2.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.[11]
In June 2023, Rioux was selected to play for Canada at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup in Hungary. He averaged 3.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game over the course of the tournament.[12] The following year, at the 2024 FIBA Under-18 AmeriCup in Argentina, Rioux won his second bronze medal at the youth level. He finished the event averaging 4.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ Marcus, Amanda (September 15, 2021). "Canadian confirmed as tallest teenager in the world". Guinness World Records. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Florida Gators bio
- ^ a b Browne, Ken (May 2, 2019). "Canada's new basketball prodigy Olivier Rioux: 13 years old, 2.18m tall, shoe size 20". Olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ a b Rai, Chanda (November 18, 2023). "Olivier Rioux Parents: Father Jean-Francois And Mother Anne". Players Bio. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Asmelash, Leah (June 21, 2024). "At 7'9", he's about to become the tallest college basketball player ever". CNN. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ Ewing, Lori (June 19, 2018). "Six-foot-ten Canadian 12-year-old gets the attention of NBA players". The Canadian Press. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Newman, Logan (December 26, 2023). "Above the Rim and Beyond the Court: Olivier Rioux, the world's tallest teen, is more than just a basketball player". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023.
- ^ Newman, Logan (April 11, 2025). "Who is Olivier Rioux, the 7-foot-6 teenager?". USA Today. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ Long, Mark (November 15, 2024). "The world's tallest teenager, 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux, plans to redshirt at Florida this season". Associated Press. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Olivier Rioux 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship statistics". fiba.basketball. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ "Olivier Rioux 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup statistics". fiba.basketball. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ "Olivier Rioux 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup statistics". fiba.basketball. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ^ "Olivier Rioux 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup statistics". fiba.basketball. Retrieved June 9, 2024.