College Basketball

World's tallest teenager, 7-foot-6 center Olivier Rioux, commits to Florida

Updated Nov. 9, 2023 2:47 p.m. ET

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Move aside, Victor Wembanyama.

While the 7-foot-4 San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom is arguably the most talked-about basketball player on the planet right now, there is another hoops prodigy who is even taller than Wembanyama, and he's making headlines after announcing where he will be playing college basketball next season.

Olivier Rioux, the world's tallest teenager, announced his commitment to Florida late Wednesday night. The 17-year-old is unofficially listed by multiple recruiting services at 7-6. But Rioux claims he's even taller, listing himself at 7-7 on his Instagram page, adding that he also has a size 20 shoe.

Rioux earned the honor as the world's tallest teenager in December 2020, being measured just a smidge over 7-foot-5 by Guinness World Records. The Quebec native, who now plays basketball at IMG Academy in Florida, has played basketball since he was five.

Rioux actually became a brief internet sensation when he was 12. In 2018, a highlight package of him went viral as the then 6-10 kid towered over his teammates and opponents, allowing him to score with ease. 

Some members of the basketball world apparently took notice of Rioux in 2018 as well. When fellow Canadian and NBA star Jamal Murray won a championship title with the Denver Nuggets in June, Rioux congratulated him by sharing a five-year-old picture of the two of them on Instagram.

"Congrats to Jamal Murray for winning the NBA Championship with Denver! @jmglitxh27 Do you remember 5 years ago you were the one asking for the picture," Rioux wrote with a laughing emoji and a picture of him hovering over the 6-4 Murray.

As for his play on the court, there aren't any publicly available stats on how Rioux has played in high school. But he's attended IMG Academy since 2021, which is viewed as one of the top basketball prep schools in the country and has developed dozens of NBA players.

Rioux has also had the opportunity to represent his country in international tournaments. He played for Canada at the U19 FIBA World Cup this summer, appearing in 31 minutes over five games. He averaged 3.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. 

On3.com is the only major recruiting service that ranked Rioux, grading him as a three-star recruit and a top 150 prospect in the Class of 2024. Still, he has earned some comparisons to Purdue star and reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey.

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