Positive News: Giant 7’9” French Canadian Is Tallest Player In College Basketball History, Dunking Without Jumping (Watch)

Giant 7’9” French Canadian Is Tallest Player In College Basketball History, Dunking Without Jumping (Watch)

He was the same height as his kindergarten teacher and had eclipsed seven-feet-tall by the time he entered seventh grade.

And now—standing at 7’9”—Olivier Rioux from Quebec has ascended into sports history by becoming the tallest person to ever play in a college basketball game.

As the minutes ticked away in the second half of the University of Florida’s trouncing of North Florida on November 6th, the audience began chanting for Olivier.

Moments later, Florida coach Todd Golden turned toward the Canadian and granted the crowd’s wish.

More cheers rang out. And soon, history was made. (See the moment below…)

Olivier only played for two minutes late in the game for the team, which has an already stacked roster. He scored no points or rebounds, but was happy to be on the court—hearing the fans cheer for him.

“It felt great. The support from everybody was amazing,” Rioux told USA Today after the game. “Even on the bench and even with the fans. Everybody supported me. I’m very grateful.”

Prior to this month, Manute Bol had been the tallest college player—yet he measured a full two inches shorter than Olivier.

The young man’s journey into basketball accelerated rapidly after he played in an international tournament in Spain at the age of 12, and videos from his game went viral, reaching more than a million people.

In 2021, the youth with a size 20 shoe began attending IMG Academy in Florida, one of the country’s preeminent prep schools for standout athletes, and has been working to refine his talents ever since.

“He’s put in a lot of great work and to his credit, he’s kept a great attitude without getting a lot of reward in terms of playing time and opportunity,” Golden told USA Today.

“I thought (the North Florida game) would be a good opportunity to get him out there and get his first college experience, and I think he was pretty excited. It was pretty neat for him to finally see the floor.”

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But will his 8-foot wingspan be enough to turn him into an NBA player?

Other incredibly tall players such as Bol, Yao Ming (7’6”), and current superstar Victor Wembanyama (7’4”) have proven that there is plenty of room in the NBA for big men.

“The sky is the limit for him,”Rioux’s coach at IMG, Jeremy Schiller told Canada’s W5. “We haven’t even scratched the surface of what he can be.”