Giant Canadian NCAA basketball player can almost dunk without jumping

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Canada’s Olivier Rioux has been turning heads for years as the world’s tallest teenager. Now 18, the 7-foot-9 basketball player is redshirting his first season with the Florida Gators after committing to playing college ball at the University of Florida.

While he has yet to get a taste of NCAA action, Rioux is already finding ways to go viral — and for good reason.

A recent clip shows the rookie casually practicing layups and nearly touching the rim without leaving his feet. For context, NCAA nets stand at 10 feet tall.

Here’s a clip of him dunking with the help of a tiny hop.

Even among his towering teammates, Rioux looks like a giant. One video shows a fellow Florida player who stands above seven feet tall, struggling to reach him for a high five.

The Terrebonne, Quebec native, who stands taller than NBA legends like Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James, has already made history as the tallest player in US College Basketball history. But it’s not just his size that’s remarkable — Rioux has the skill to back it up.

The centre, who wears size 20 shoes, represents Canada on the international stage and has played in multiple FIBA tournaments over the years, including the U18 FIBA AmeriCup and U19 World Cup. Before that, he helped lead Canada to a bronze medal at the Under-16 Americas Championship.

In the meantime, redshirting gives him extra time to develop his game. But with his height, reach, and 290-pound frame, stopping him under the basket might already be an impossible task. If things go according to plan, Rioux could one day surpass Gheorghe Mureșan (7-foot-7) as the tallest player to ever play in the NBA.

When the Guinness World Record holder finally gets his chance on the court, he’ll likely be a matchup nightmare for defenders — unless they raise the height of the net.

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