Olivier Rioux: Height, Stats and Will He Make the NBA? (2026)
Olivier Rioux is a 7-foot-9 Canadian center at UC Irvine and the tallest player in NCAA basketball history. Born in February 2006 in Terrebonne, Quebec, he was certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest teenager at 15. He spent two seasons at Florida, redshirting through the Gators’ 2025 national title run and playing 16 minutes in 2025-26, then transferred to UC Irvine in April 2026.
The question everyone asks is whether he will make the NBA. The honest answer, with the numbers, is below.
Olivier Rioux at a glance
| Height | 7’9″ (236 cm), listed; 305 lb |
|---|---|
| Team (2026-27) | UC Irvine Anteaters (Big West), transferred from Florida |
| Born | February 2006, Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada |
| Record | Tallest player in NCAA history; Guinness tallest teenager (226.9 cm at 15) |
| Parents | Jean-François Rioux, 6’8″, and Anne Gariépy, 6’1″ to 6’2″, both former volleyball players |
| Brother | Émile, 6’9″ at 15 |
| Shoe size | US 20 |
| Florida career | Redshirt 2024-25; 11 games, 16 minutes, 7 points, 6 rebounds in 2025-26 |
| National team | Canada youth teams, bronze at the 2021 U16 and 2024 U18 AmeriCup |
| Eligibility | Three seasons left |
| Last checked | 26 October 2026 |
How tall is Olivier Rioux?
Olivier Rioux’s height is 7 feet 9 inches, or 236 cm, on both the Florida and UC Irvine rosters. No one taller has ever played college basketball: he passed Kenny George of UNC Asheville (7’7″) and Paul Sturgess (7’8″). FIBA, which measures players for international events, listed him at 233 cm (about 7’7″) at the 2025 U19 World Cup, so the exact number depends on who did the measuring. His wingspan and standing reach have never been published.
How tall was Olivier Rioux as a kid?
He has been very tall from the start. Rioux was 6’1″ at age 8 and passed 7 feet around age 12. Guinness World Records measured him at 226.9 cm (7’5.33″) at 15 and named him the tallest teenager in the world in September 2021.
Olivier Rioux's height by age
Reported height in inches; he passed 7 feet (84 in) at about age 12
Show the data behind this chart
Age
Height
Source
8
6'1"
CNN, 2024
12
about 6'10" (2.13 m)
Olympics.com, 2019
13
about 7'2" (2.18 m)
Olympics.com, 2019
15
7'5.33" (226.9 cm)
Guinness World Records, 2021
17
7'6" (recruiting listing)
Gainesville Sun, Nov 2023
18 to 20
7'9" (listed)
Florida and UC Irvine rosters
How tall is Olivier Rioux barefoot?
No barefoot measurement of Rioux has been published since he was 15. The one formal measurement on record is Guinness World Records’ 226.9 cm (7’5.33″) in 2021, taken without shoes. The 7’9″ on the Florida and UC Irvine rosters is a listing, and the rosters do not say whether it was taken with or without shoes. FIBA’s 233 cm (about 7’7″) at the 2025 U19 World Cup sits between the two.
Is Olivier Rioux still growing?
There is no public sign that he is. His listed height has been 7’9″ on every roster since he arrived at Florida in 2024, and neither Rioux nor his coaches have said he is still growing. Most young men reach their adult height in their late teens, and Rioux turned 20 in February 2026. The jump that made headlines came earlier: from 7’5.33″ at 15 to a listed 7’9″ at 18.
Olivier Rioux vs the tallest NBA players ever
If Rioux reached the NBA he would be the tallest player in league history. The current record holders, Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, were both 7’7″. Rioux is two inches taller than them and five inches taller than Victor Wembanyama’s official listing.
Olivier Rioux vs the tallest NBA players ever
Listed height. Rioux is two inches taller than anyone who has played in the NBA
Show the data behind this chart
Player
Listed height
cm
Olivier Rioux (UC Irvine)
7'9"
236
Gheorghe Muresan
7'7"
231
Manute Bol
7'7"
231
Tacko Fall
7'6"
229
Yao Ming
7'6"
229
Shawn Bradley
7'6"
229
Victor Wembanyama
7'4"
224
Zach Edey
7'3"
221
Olivier Rioux next to a normal person
Next to an average American man (5’9″), Rioux is about two feet taller. He is about 14 inches taller than the average NBA player and 5 inches taller than Victor Wembanyama. Photos of him standing next to teammates and fans are a big part of why he went viral as a teenager.
Olivier Rioux next to an average man
Drawn to scale next to a 6'8" door and a 10-foot rim.
Show the data behind this chart
Person
Height
Centimeters
Avg US man
5'8.9"
175 cm
Avg NBA player
6'6.6"
200 cm
Wembanyama
7'4"
224 cm
Olivier Rioux
7'9"
236 cm
Why is Olivier Rioux so tall?
Rioux’s own answer, to CNN in 2024: “We’re still not 100% sure why I’m so tall… doctors could only explain it with the genetics that my family has.” He added, “This is what nature planned for me. I learned to be peaceful and happy about it.”
The family numbers back that up. His father, Jean-François Rioux, is 6’8″; his mother, Anne Gariépy, is 6’1″ or 6’2″ depending on the source; both played volleyball. His older brother Émile was 6’9″ at 15. Height is about 80% inherited, according to the US National Institutes of Health, and Rioux has not described any medical condition. For the wider science, see why NBA players are so tall.
Does Olivier Rioux have a medical condition?
No condition has been reported. Rioux has said doctors could only explain his height with his family’s genetics, and nothing he, his family or his teams have said points to anything else.
Olivier Rioux’s college career: Florida to UC Irvine
IMG Academy and recruiting
Rioux started playing at 5, spent time in Real Madrid’s youth program and finished high school at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He was a three-star recruit, reclassified from the class of 2025 to 2024, and committed to Florida in November 2023, joining as a preferred walk-on.
Florida, 2024-25: redshirt on a title team
Coach Todd Golden redshirted him after four games: “I’m just not trying to burn your year putting you in for 30 seconds.” Florida went on to win the 2025 NCAA championship; Rioux was on the roster but did not play.
Florida, 2025-26: the tallest player in college history
Rioux made his debut on 6 November 2025 against North Florida, entering with 2:09 left and becoming the tallest player ever to appear in a college game. His first basket was a dunk against Saint Francis on 17 December 2025, and he dunked again in the NCAA Tournament against Prairie View A&M on 20 March 2026. Season totals: 11 games, 16 minutes, 3-of-6 shooting, 7 points, 6 rebounds. Florida’s frontcourt of Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu left little room.
UC Irvine, 2026-27
Rioux entered the transfer portal on 31 March 2026 and signed with UC Irvine on 30 April. The Anteaters went 23-12 in 2025-26 and won the Big West regular season. Coach Russell Turner: “Olivier is a high-character young man whose presence will elevate our team, our university, and our community.” He has three years of eligibility left.
His first games for the Anteaters came at the William Jones Cup in Taiwan in August 2026. Against Malaysia he scored 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting in an 87-55 win, and he had a double-digit rebounding game in pool play as UC Irvine went 7-1 and reached the final.
Does Olivier Rioux start for UC Irvine?
That will be settled once the season begins: the first home game on UC Irvine’s schedule is against Cal State LA on 27 October 2026, and the team has not named a starting lineup. The Jones Cup alone gave him more game action than two seasons at Florida. We expect a rotation role; how many minutes he earns is the most important number of his season.
Olivier Rioux with Canada
| Event | Games | Minutes | Points | Rebounds | Blocks | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 FIBA U16 AmeriCup | 6 | 18.8 | 8.3 | 10.3 | 2.3 | Bronze |
| 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup | 7 | 13.4 | 2.7 | 4.7 | 1.6 | |
| 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup | 5 | 6.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 0.8 | |
| 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup | 6 | 9.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0.3 | Bronze |
| 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup | 7 | 9.1 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.6 |
Per-game averages. Source: FIBA.
The trend matters for his NBA case: his minutes fell from 18.8 a game at U16 to about 9 at U18 and U19 as the opponents got older and faster.
Will Olivier Rioux make the NBA?
Our honest estimate: about a 5% chance he ever plays in an NBA regular-season game. Here is the reasoning.
- Against: no NBA scout or mainstream mock draft has projected him as a pick. He has played 16 college minutes in two seasons, and his international minutes shrank as the competition improved. Players this size have to show they can move well enough to defend in space, and he has not had the minutes to show it.
- For: 7’9″ cannot be taught. Coaches describe him as coachable and improving; Golden said he had “flashes in practice where he’ll make some plays and you’re like, ‘Whoa.'” At UC Irvine he should get real minutes for the first time.
- The path: Tacko Fall, 7’6″, went undrafted in 2019 and still played parts of three NBA seasons on two-way deals. That is the realistic model for Rioux: a big role in college, then a summer league or two-way chance.
Olivier Rioux NBA draft projection and eligibility
No mainstream 2027 mock draft or big board lists Rioux; none of the six we used for our 2027 NBA draft center rankings includes him. He is old enough to declare early for any draft, since he is past 19 and more than a year out of high school. If he stays at UC Irvine for all three of his remaining seasons, his college eligibility runs through 2028-29, which points to the 2029 draft. Any projection will depend on what he does with real minutes this season.
Follow Rioux and every other 7-footer in the world in our 7-Foot Prospect Database, and see the tallest college basketball players in 2026-27 and the tallest NBA players.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is Olivier Rioux?
Olivier Rioux is listed at 7 feet 9 inches (236 cm) and 305 pounds. That makes him the tallest player in NCAA basketball history. FIBA listed him at 233 cm (about 7’7″) at the 2025 U19 World Cup.
Where does Olivier Rioux play now?
UC Irvine. Rioux left Florida through the transfer portal on 31 March 2026 and signed with UC Irvine of the Big West on 30 April 2026, with three years of eligibility left.
Will Olivier Rioux make the NBA?
It is a long shot today. No NBA scout or mainstream mock draft has projected him as a pick, and he played 16 minutes in two seasons at Florida. A bigger role at UC Irvine is his chance to change that. If he ever plays in the NBA, he would be the tallest player in league history, two inches taller than Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol.
Why is Olivier Rioux so tall?
Rioux has said doctors “could only explain it with the genetics that my family has.” His father is 6’8″, his mother 6’1″ or 6’2″ depending on the source, and his older brother 6’9″. He has not described any medical condition.
How old is Olivier Rioux?
Rioux was born in February 2006, so he is 20 during the 2026-27 season.
Did Olivier Rioux win a national championship?
He was on Florida’s roster when the Gators won the 2025 NCAA title, but he was redshirting and did not play in a game that season.
What is Olivier Rioux’s shoe size?
US size 20, according to the Associated Press.
Is Olivier Rioux still growing?
There is no sign that he is. His listed height has stayed at 7’9″ since 2024, and he turned 20 in February 2026.
Does Olivier Rioux have a medical condition?
No condition has been reported. Rioux has said doctors explained his height with his family’s genetics.
How tall is Olivier Rioux barefoot?
No barefoot measurement has been published since Guinness World Records measured him at 226.9 cm (7’5.33″) at 15. His 7’9″ is a roster listing.
Who are Olivier Rioux’s parents?
Jean-François Rioux (6’8″) and Anne Gariépy (6’1″ to 6’2″). Both are former volleyball players.
How tall was Olivier Rioux as a kid?
He was 6’1″ at age 8, about 6’10” at 12 and about 7’2″ at 13, according to CNN and Olympics.com.
Does Olivier Rioux start for UC Irvine?
UC Irvine has not named a starting lineup for 2026-27, and its first home game is on 27 October 2026. He played real minutes for the Anteaters at the Jones Cup in August, including a 13-point game against Malaysia.
Is Olivier Rioux in the NBA draft?
Not yet. He has not declared, and no mainstream 2027 mock draft lists him. He can declare early in any year; if he uses all three remaining college seasons, his natural draft year is 2029.
Sources
- UC Irvine Athletics: UC Irvine signs 7-9 Olivier Rioux (30 Apr 2026)
- CBS Sports: Olivier Rioux transfers to UC Irvine (30 Apr 2026)
- WDBO / Cox: Rioux enters the transfer portal (31 Mar 2026)
- Sports-Reference: Olivier Rioux college stats
- Florida Gators: Olivier Rioux roster bio
- Guinness World Records: tallest teenager in the world (Sep 2021)
- CNN via KSL: at 7-foot-9, he may become the tallest college player ever (Jun 2024)
- AP via NBC Miami: Rioux at Florida (Oct 2024)
- AP via KSAT: Rioux becomes tallest player in college history (Nov 2025)
- TSN: Rioux dunks for first college field goal (Dec 2025)
- Olympics.com: Olivier Rioux at 13 (May 2019)
- FIBA: Olivier Rioux player page
- Basketball-Reference: tallest NBA players (Muresan, Bol, Fall, Yao, Bradley)
- UC Irvine Athletics: Anteaters beat Malaysia at the Jones Cup (Aug 2026)
- UC Irvine Athletics: 2026 Jones Cup wrap-up (Sep 2026)
- UC Irvine Athletics: 2026-27 schedule
- AOL / People: Olivier Rioux’s parents (Apr 2025)
Last checked 26 October 2026.
