Victor Wembanyama quickly took over the NBA, winning Rookie of the Year in his first season of play. At 7-foot-5, Wembanyama is what we call a ‘freak.’ So if Wemby’s a freak, then what is Olivier Rioux?
Well, he’s a 7-foot-9 basketball recruit who’s currently committed to the Florida Gators. He’s believed to be the tallest basketball player in the world and holds the Guinness World Record for being the tallest teenager. However, he set that record back in 2021, when he measured in at a measly 7-foot-4, and now reports suggest he’s grown four inches since.
Rioux is a Quebec, Canada native who currently attends IMG Academy, in Bradenton, Florida, which is a prep boarding school that specializes in sports development for young, college-bound athletes.
He’s already played for Canada’s men’s national basketball team and at the FIBA World Cup and has even spent time with Real Madrid. Amazingly, despite his otherworldly height, Rioux is just a three-star recruit. Are these people aware that he’s 7-freaking-9?
Yet, recently, Rioux’s been gaining even more recognition thanks to a series of short clips that have circulated on the internet, where he makes his opponents look like elementary school ballplayers instead of near-adult teens.
18-year-old Florida commit Olivier Rioux is now listed at 7’9” 👀
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 19, 2024
He was 7’5” when we filmed him 2 years ago.
7’6” last year (this video).
7’7” earlier this year.
pic.twitter.com/Y4jsbq35wb
Imagine being in high school. You just got done with the toughest Algebra test of your life, and now you’re ready to try your hand at seeing if this basketball thing is for you. Then, a 7-foot-9 giant walks in, and coach expects you to body him up in the paint. Good luck.
Thankfully, high schoolers won’t have to lose sleep over trying to slay the dragon after their next final, since Rioux is set to begin his college career at Florida beginning later this year.
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