History was made on Thursday night as 7ft 9in Olivier Rioux, the world’s tallest teenager, became the tallest person ever to play college basketball, making his debut for the Florida Gators.
The 19-year-old redshirt freshman entered the game with just over two minutes remaining, following fervent chants from the home crowd demanding his appearance.
The O’Connell Center erupted with cries of “We Want Ollie” during Florida’s dominant 104-64 victory over North Florida.
Despite initial hesitation, coach Todd Golden eventually relented, sending Rioux into the fray. Golden later admitted, “There’s people yelling at me at halftime about playing him. I’m like, ‘Listen, it will happen. The time will come.’”
Despite the immense attention, which saw North Florida players, including Trey Cady, visibly smirking as they measured themselves against him, Rioux remained grounded.
“It felt great,” he shared. “The support from everybody was amazing, even on the bench and even the fans. I think everybody supported me. I’m very grateful.” When pressed on the historical significance of his debut, Rioux quipped, “It’s another day, I guess.”
Rioux’s towering stature places him 5 centimetres taller than NBA legends Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and 7.5 centimetres taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall, and Shawn Bradley. He had already secured a spot in the Guinness World Records before signing with Florida in 2024.
The Canadian teenager’s journey involved a strategic redshirt season, chosen by Rioux to focus on developing his game rather than playing sparingly. He became a familiar, viral presence on campus.
Coach Golden praised his dedication, stating, “He’s put in a lot of great work. To his credit, he’s kept a great attitude without getting a lot of reward in terms of playing time and opportunity.”
Golden had previously indicated Rioux would only feature in significant blowouts, a decision influenced by the strong returning frontcourt.
Rioux’s commitment to Florida and his willingness to challenge himself against teammates in practice solidified his place.
Golden explained his decision: “I talked to the guys at halftime when we’re up 24 and I expressed to them the importance of getting off to a really good start so we can get some of the younger guys and some of the guys from down on the bench an opportunity to play and to get some rip.
“Obviously the game was in our control and thought it 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.”
The moment Golden signaled for Rioux to enter the game sparked the loudest ovation of the night, surpassed only by the unveiling of Florida’s championship banner.
Rioux swiftly removed his long-sleeved T-shirt and headed to the scorer’s table. Despite the excitement, he did not touch the ball during his 2 minutes and 9 seconds on court, a detail that will have to wait for his next appearance.
His teammates and coaches celebrated enthusiastically, with fans screaming whenever the ball neared him.
Teammate Micah Handlogten offered words of encouragement: “When he was checking into the game, I kind of stopped him and I was like, ’Play with confidence. You’ve worked your butt off for two years now to get to this spot. Now’s your moment. This is your time to shine. To see him out there running up and down the court with a little smile on his face, it was really good to see.”
His historic debut promises further excitement as Rioux continues his journey with the Gators.
