Few college basketball players turn heads before they even touch the ball—but Olivier Rioux isn’t your typical freshman. Standing a verified 7 feet 9 inches in shoes, the Canadian center is officially the tallest teenager ever certified by Guinness World Records.

Height: 7 ft 9 in (236.2 cm) ·
Age: 19 (born February 2, 2006) ·
College Team: UC Irvine Anteaters ·
Shoe Size: 20

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Whether he will continue to grow — no official update
  • Whether he has gigantism — no official diagnosis confirmed
  • Why his voice is deep — speculated, no medical statement exists
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Rioux will play for UC Irvine in the 2025–26 season (ESPN college basketball coverage)
  • NBA draft-eligible in 2026

The table below reveals the key measurements that define his physical profile.

Label Value
Full Name Olivier Rioux
Date of Birth February 2, 2006
Height (with shoes) 7 ft 9 in (236.2 cm)
Height (barefoot) 7 ft 5.33 in (226.9 cm)
Weight 305 lbs (138 kg)
Shoe Size 20
College Team UC Irvine Anteaters
NBA Draft Eligibility 2026

The data shows a clear gap: his listed height with shoes is 3.67 inches more than his barefoot record—a common practice in college basketball, but one that matters when projecting professional mobility.

Why Isn’t Olivier Rioux in the NBA?

College eligibility and draft status

  • Rioux is a college freshman as of the 2025–26 season and therefore not eligible for the 2024 NBA draft. According to ESPN’s player page, he is classified as a freshman. He becomes draft-eligible in 2026.
  • He redshirted during the 2024–25 season at Florida and transferred to UC Irvine, meaning he has not yet accumulated enough playing time to showcase his skills at a high level (Yahoo Sports report).

Physical limitations vs NBA demands

  • BasketNews analysis argues that height alone is not enough in the modern NBA—pace and versatility expose limitations that may keep Rioux from thriving professionally.
  • In 11 games at Florida, he averaged only 0.6 points and 1.5 minutes per game (Yahoo Sports report). Those numbers suggest he has yet to adjust to the speed of Division I basketball.
Bottom line: Rioux is a long way from the NBA not because of his height, but because of limited production and the league’s shift toward agile, skilled bigs. Scouts: watch his 2026 draft year. Fans: temper viral hype with the reality of his current stats.

The implication: raw height does not guarantee professional success.

How Did Olivier Rioux Get So Tall?

Family genetics

  • His father is 6 ft 8 in and his mother is 6 ft 2 in, according to the Florida Gators roster bio. Both parents are tall, but neither approaches their son’s extreme stature.
  • Rioux reached 6 ft 1 in by age eight and 6 ft 11 in by sixth grade, as reported by the same source (Florida Gators roster bio). He passed 7 ft the summer before seventh grade.

Medical condition speculation

  • Guinness World Records certified Rioux as the tallest teenager without gigantism—a key distinction. The ESPN college basketball coverage cites that certification. No official medical diagnosis of gigantism or acromegaly has been publicly confirmed for Rioux.
  • It is unclear whether his extreme height results from a rare growth disorder that has not been diagnosed, or simply from exceptional natural genetics combined with early growth spurts.
The paradox

Rioux is both the tallest teenager ever and—according to the only official source—lacks a gigantism diagnosis. That makes him a one-of-a-kind medical case, but also leaves unanswered questions about his future growth trajectory.

This paradox leaves more questions than answers about his growth.

Is Olivier Rioux Really 7 Feet 9 Inches Tall?

Verified measurements

  • The Florida Gators roster (and ESPN) lists him at 7 ft 9 in with shoes. ESPN’s player page repeats the same figure of 7 ft 9 in, 305 lbs.
  • His Guinness World Record measurement—taken barefoot—is 7 ft 5.33 in (226.9 cm) as certified by the organization (ESPN college basketball coverage).
  • Rioux himself writes “20 years old, 7’9″ with shoes, size 20” in his Instagram bio, per multiple reports.

Three data points, two different numbers. The gap between shoe height and barefoot height is about 3.7 inches—consistent with thick-soled basketball shoes and a possible rounding up.

Is Olivier Rioux Still Growing?

Growth patterns at 19

  • Most males stop growing between ages 18 and 20. Rioux turned 19 in February 2025, so he is near the end of his natural growth window.
  • The Florida Gators roster bio notes he was already 7 ft 9 in as listed. No update has been provided since his transfer to UC Irvine.

Medical predictions

  • His growth plates likely have not fully fused—but without an official medical check on that, it’s speculation. The Guinness record was set at age 15; he has possibly added height since then, but the amount is unconfirmed.
  • It is unclear whether he will continue to grow past 7 ft 9 in. No medical statement has been released addressing this question.
What to watch

If Rioux adds another inch, he would join the exclusive club of 8-footers—only about 30 people known to have reached that height in recent history. His future health, particularly joint and spine stress, would become an even bigger factor in his basketball longevity.

The health implications are significant if he adds more inches.

Olivier Rioux Basketball Career and Stats

What college does Olivier Rioux play for?

He now plays for the UC Irvine Anteaters after transferring from Florida.

Florida Gators tenure

  • Rioux played for the Florida Gators from 2023 to 2025. He appeared in 11 games and averaged 0.6 points and 0.5 rebounds per game (Yahoo Sports report).
  • He redshirted during the 2024–25 season, preserving a year of eligibility.
  • In his debut game against North Florida in November 2023, he became the tallest player ever to participate in a Division I college basketball game (Yahoo Sports report).

Transfer to UC Irvine

  • In April 2025, Rioux announced his transfer to UC Irvine via Instagram, as reported by ESPN college basketball coverage.
  • UC Irvine had won the Big West regular season title but lost in the conference tournament. Rioux is expected to compete for a bigger role as a center for the Anteaters in 2025–26.
The trade-off

Rioux traded the SEC stage (Florida) for a mid-major program where he may get more court time. For a player with his physical constraints, that’s a smart bet: minutes now matter more than TV exposure later.

This strategic move prioritizes playing time over conference visibility.

Timeline: Olivier Rioux’s Growth and Career

  • February 2, 2006 — Born in Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada.
  • 2014 (age 8) — Reported to be 6 ft 1 in tall (Florida Gators roster bio).
  • 2021 (age 15) — Measured 7 ft 5.33 in barefoot; certified by Guinness World Records as tallest teenager (ESPN college basketball coverage).
  • 2023 (age 17) — Graduated high school, joined Florida Gators (Florida Gators roster bio).
  • 2024–2025 — Redshirt season at Florida; appeared in 11 games (Yahoo Sports report).
  • 2025 — Transferred to UC Irvine Anteaters (ESPN college basketball coverage).

The chronology confirms a steady growth pattern but leaves open questions about his final height.

What’s Confirmed and What’s Not

Confirmed facts

  • Rioux is 7 ft 9 in with shoes (Florida Gators roster bio, ESPN player page).
  • He holds the Guinness record for tallest teenager (barefoot 7 ft 5.33 in) (ESPN college basketball coverage).
  • He played 11 games at Florida (0.6 ppg, 0.5 rpg) (Yahoo Sports report).
  • He transferred to UC Irvine in 2025 (ESPN college basketball coverage).

What’s unclear

  • Whether he will continue to grow (no official update).
  • Whether he has gigantism (no official diagnosis).
  • Why his voice is deep (speculated due to height, no medical statement).
  • His exact current height barefoot (no recent measurement available).

The split between verified data and open questions underscores the uncertainty surrounding his extreme physique.

Expert Perspectives on Rioux

“I am 20 years old, 7’9″ with shoes, size 20.”

— Olivier Rioux, via Instagram (reported by ESPN college basketball coverage)

“Rioux is the tallest player in college basketball history and the tallest player to score in a Division I game.”

— ESPN college basketball coverage

“Height alone is not enough in the modern game. Modern pace and versatility expose limitations that may keep Rioux from thriving professionally.”

— BasketNews analysis

“Rioux made history in November by becoming the tallest player to participate in a college basketball game.”

— Yahoo Sports report

The pattern is clear: Rioux is a historical novelty on the court, but the same height that earns him records also creates the biggest challenge—fitting into a game that prizes agility and shooting over sheer size.

For Rioux, the immediate goal is not the NBA but regular playing time at UC Irvine. For college basketball fans, his story is a reminder that viral stats don’t always translate to professional careers. For scouts, the question is whether he can develop enough mobility and skill to overcome the limitations his own body imposes. The choice: adjust his game to the modern pace, or risk being a footnote in basketball history.

Additional sources

sports.yahoo.com, sports.yahoo.com, en.wikipedia.org, youtube.com, reddit.com, nbadraftroom.com, reddit.com, facebook.com

Frequently asked questions

Why hasn’t Olivier Rioux entered the NBA draft yet?

He is a college freshman (redshirted) and not draft-eligible until 2026. His limited production at Florida (0.6 ppg) and the NBA’s preference for mobile bigs are additional barriers. See the full analysis above.

How did Olivier Rioux achieve his extreme height?

His parents are tall (father 6 ft 8 in, mother 6 ft 2 in). He was already 6 ft 1 in at age eight. He has not been diagnosed with gigantism; Guinness certified him as the tallest teenager without gigantism.

Is Olivier Rioux really 7 feet 9 inches tall?

Yes, with shoes—both the Florida Gators roster and ESPN list him at 7 ft 9 in. Barefoot, his Guinness record measurement is 7 ft 5.33 in.

Is Olivier Rioux still growing?

He was 19 as of February 2025. Most males stop growing between 18 and 20. No official update confirms further growth, but his growth plates may not have fully fused.

What college does Olivier Rioux play for?

He transferred to UC Irvine (Anteaters) in 2025 after two seasons with the Florida Gators.

How tall is Olivier Rioux without shoes?

His barefoot height when certified by Guinness was 7 ft 5.33 in (226.9 cm). No newer barefoot measurement is publicly available.

What is Olivier Rioux’s shoe size?

Size 20, per his Instagram bio and multiple reports.

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