Watch out Shaq, there’s a new giant in town.Florida men’s basketball star Olivier Rioux is the new big man on campus and showing no signs of slowing down.A career in the NBA possibly await Rioux, but he’s still got a long way to goMeet the world’s tallest teen, Olivier RiouxLast year, the 19-year-old Canadian extended his own Guinness World Record as the tallest teenager in the world by measuring in at a gargantuan 7ft 9in.Just eight weeks prior, the towering teen from Montreal was listed at a ginormous 7ft 7in, meaning he’d grown a whole two inches in just as many months.Rioux played high school ball at powerhouse private school IMG Academy in Florida before committing to the Gators, and was already the world’s tallest teenager prior to joining the Division-I school.According to the Gators’ website, the 305lbs freshman was 6ft 1in when he was just eight years old.He continued to grow at an unbelievable rate and passed the seven foot mark prior to the seventh grade.In 2019, he was invited to play a tournament for European giants Real Madrid in Spain.Rioux was listed at just over 7ft 5in aged 16, which was when he entered the Guinness World Record book as the world’s tallest teenager.Now, he’s just three inches shy of 8ft and potentially the biggest baller to ever play in D-1 history.“It’s absolutely insane how well he moves at 7-foot-9. Wow!” one fan posted in reaction to his viral highlights package.“What are they feeding these kids?” joked another.Rioux is a giant and could be college basketball’s next big iconGettyRioux would be the tallest NBA player ever if he makes it to the leagueX@CourtsideFilmsHe towers over much smaller defendersX@CollinRuggThe Canadian is officially the tallest teenager in the worldInstagram@olivier.rioux“With the whole Rioux family being tall [his father is 6ft 8in and his mother is 6ft 2in], Olivier’s childhood home was updated to accommodate everyone’s stature,” Guinness wrote when presenting him with the record.“Tabletops, and ceilings are all higher than average. The only thing that remains the same is the doorframes, which have seen their fair share of collisions with the top of Olivier’s head.“As a child, Olivier spent hours looking through his Guinness World Records books, studying the tallest people, and comparing himself to every record holder. “After failing to find someone taller than him in the 2015 and 2016 editions of the books, Olivier was inspired to achieve the title himself and recalls being “emotionally shocked and relieved that (he) finally got it!”7-foot-9 center Olivier Rioux gives football a try at FloridaRioux recently worked out for the Gators’ football team as he tries his (very large) hand at a new sport.Rioux donned an orange helmet and took snaps on special teams, with Florida assistant coaches hoping his massive wingspan might be a difference maker when it comes to blocking field goals and extra points.“I like the idea,” Gators basketball coach Todd Golden said during a booster event Thursday evening. “I give them credit for trying it.”However, he was still unable to block any kicks during the workout despite having an 11-inch reach.“They were a little disappointed,” Golden said.NFL's Greatest......Ranking the top 10......Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top?Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and moreTight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?He redshirted his first season with the national champion GatorsRioux recently celebrated the one-seeded Gators winning the 2025 NCAA Tournament.Florida defeated the Houston Cougars 65-63 in a nail-biter in San Antonio to claim their first March Madness title since 2007.Walter Clayton Jr, compared to NBA great Steph Curry, was one of the Gators’ heroes.The Gators trailed by 12 points in the second half, but rallied late on to steal an unlikely win in thrilling fashion.The victory helped see boxing legend Floyd Mayweather win a huge NCAA bet.Florida is now 2-1 all-time in the national championship, losing to Michigan State in 2000 before winning back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.However, Rioux did not play for Florida during their run at The Dance, including their championship game against the Cougars, as he decided to redshirt last season.Redshirting refers to a college athlete who is withdrawn from university sporting events for a year to develop their skills and extend their period of playing eligibility by a further year at said level of competition.He joined in the celebrations after the NCAA title win though, with viral footage showing him cutting down the net without the use of a ladder.Whenever Rioux plays in his first official game next season, he will be the tallest person ever to play college basketball.He’s expected to get on the court in limited capacity this fall, although he’s unlikely to play much considering the defending national champions return their entire frontcourt, including Australian Alex Condon, who comes from the same academy as NBA star Josh Giddey.However, he did play against the United States in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland earlier this monthThe massive teen cut down the net without a ladder after Florida won the nattyX@BleacherReportThe Gators star will be hard to miss in the upcoming NCAA TournamentGettyRioux towered over 7fter Shaq when they recently metShaqDieselONeal, TikTokEven O’Neal was stunned by how big the teenager isShaqDieselONeal, TikTokRioux still has a long way to go to make it to the NBA, but if he does, he would be the tallest player in league history.He is so big, in fact, that he towered over the 7ft 1in Shaquille O’Neal when the pair met earlier this year.San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama is the tallest player in The Association today.As things stand, 7ft 7in titans Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol are the tallest players in NBA history.Wemby is listed at 7ft 4in – some five inches shorter than Rioux.The French superstar has been described as a generational talent by experts and likened to a ‘unicorn’ and an ‘alien’ for his unique blend of size, skill, athleticism, shooting and defensive prowess.Rioux, meanwhile, is much more of a traditional center who does his best work inside the paint where he can tower over opponents and dunk on them — much like Shaq.247sports said the 305lbs low post menace “takes up immense space on the floor but isn’t the most fleet of foot. “In short minutes, Rioux can come into a game to clog the paint, shield opponents away from the rim and be a serviceable rebounder.“He does have pretty good hands and touch on the offensive side of the ball but will need to continue developing his coordination especially in quick reaction circumstances.”