Olivier Rioux is the world’s tallest teenager at 7-foot-9. He also happens to play college basketball at Florida.
Day-to-day tasks are just a little bit more challenging for someone of his height, as you could imagine, but his vertical supremacy does not stop him from living a fairly normal life as a student-athlete.
Rioux, who has very quickly become a household name in college basketball because of his size, was not necessarily in high demand as a recruit. The Gators and head coach Todd Golden were consistent throughout the entire process and ultimately received his commitment. They decided to redshirt him as a freshman during the 2024-25 season. It was still quite the sight to see!
Olivier Rioux barely fit on Florida’s bench during his college basketball debut, makes his teammates look minuscule, and did not need a ladder to cut down the nets after the SEC championship or the national championship. Tracy Wolfson could barely interview the 19-year-old because of the height difference.
To put Rioux’s size in perspective, he recently stood next to viral content creator Tyler Bergantino and his little brother. Bergantino is 6-foot-9. His little brother is 5-foot-9. Here are their perspectives:
Florida recently visited the White House to celebrate its national championship. President Trump was in awe of Olivier Rioux, who he called a “beautiful looking guy.”
The rising sophomore center pushed the limits of the White House. Lincoln was our tallest president at 6-foot-4. Rioux has him beat by more than 15 inches!
I am completely baffled by Rioux. How does he fit in a car? How does he fit on an airplane? He recently answered the latter during an interview with Bergantino. The exit row is the only way it works!
For whatever reason, I cannot get this visual out of my head. Olivier Rioux is the world’s tallest teenager from Canada. He dressed up in a full suit and dress shoes and sat in the exit row of an airplane from Gainesville to Washington D.C. to meet President Trump alongside his national championship-winning Florida basketball teammates. Explain that to somebody in 2008!