Olivier Rioux

Olivier Rioux (born February 2, 2006) is a Canadian college basketball player for the UC Irvine Anteaters of the Big West Conference. He previously played for the Florida Gators. Guinness World Records declared him as the tallest teenager in the world in 2021 when he measured at the age of 15. , he stands tall.

Early life and high school career Olivier Rioux was born in Terrebonne on February 2, 2006, to Jean-François, a photographer and former volleyball player, and Anne Gariépy, who is and works at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). His older brother, Émile, who is , has also played basketball. Both he and Émile played for multiple Canadian AAU teams. Rioux first gained attention while playing internationally for the French Phenoms at 12, because by then he was already tall. He played for Real Madrid prior to attending IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He also played for Canadian AAU team Brookwood Elite.

Like his fellow college basketball player, Robert Bobroczkyi, Rioux into early-mid adolescence approximated the growth of Robert Wadlow at similar ages (Bobroczkyi at times exceeding it). Rioux's growth is considered natural, as familial tall stature.

College career Florida (2024–2026) Rioux committed to play college basketball at the University of Florida in November 2023. At the time of his recruitment he was listed at , taller than the tallest then-active college basketball player Jamarion Sharp and the two tallest active NBA players Boban Marjanović and Victor Wembanyama (both ).

As a redshirt freshman on the 2025–26 team, Rioux checked in for the closing minutes of Florida's 104–64 win over North Florida on November 6, 2025, becoming the tallest player in college basketball history to appear in a game.

National team career 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. 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.

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. 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. Rioux was again selected to play for Canada at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland, averaging 1.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game by the end of the tournament.

Career statistics

College Source