World's tallest teen sets new basketball record
- - World's tallest teen sets new basketball record
Simon Armstrong - BBC SportDecember 19, 2025 at 1:45 AM
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Olivier Rioux, pictured in a warm-up last month, has now made his first official dunk [Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images]
A 7ft 9in (2.36m) teenager has become the tallest player to score a basket in the history of college basketball.
Olivier Rioux, of the Florida Gators, dunked late on as his side beat Saint Francis 102-61 on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old Canadian had become the tallest player to play on a college court when he made his first appearance last month.
He was declared the tallest teenager by Guinness World Records in 2021 when he was then 7ft 5in (2.26m).
While the dunk was the centre's first, he had scored a free throw against Merrimack on 21 November.
Where would Rioux stand in NBA?
If he were to enter the game's top level, Rioux would be above any of its current players in terms of height.
The NBA lists 21-year-old French sensation Victor Wembanyama as its tallest, with the San Antonio Spurs star measuring 7ft 4in (2.24m).
Zach Edey, of the Memphis Grizzlies, is next - with the 23-year-old standing 7ft 3in (2.21m).
Three other players are 7ft 2in (2.18m), according to the NBA's website.
They are 23-year-old Donovan Clingan, of the Portland Trail Blazers, 24-year-old Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, and Kristaps Porzingis of the Atlanta Hawks.
The NBA's tallest-ever players are listed as Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan, who were both 7ft 7in (2.31m).
Bol played between 1985 and 1997, while Muresan, who was nicknamed the Giant, was on court from 1991 to 2001.
Guinness World Records had previously listed China's Sun Mingming, who is 7ft 8.98in, as the tallest active basketball player in 2013 when he was playing in his home country. He retired a year later.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
