Move over, Victor Wembanyama, there's a new towering center in town.
Olivier Rioux, who hails from Quebec, stands at 7'7" and is committing to the Florida Gators for the 2024 season.
"I am proud to announce that I have commited to the Florida gators for the 2024 season," Rioux wrote on Instagram. "I want to thank all my coaches from @imgabasketball and @brookwoodelite in helping me in this process. The adventure continue [sic] in Florida!"
While Rioux isn't the first centre at this height to pursue a professional career in basketball, his highlights have turned heads as his height gave him a massive edge in high school leagues.
At his height, Rioux holds the Guinness World Record for tallest teenager.
For comparison, he's taller than Wembanyama, Shaquille O'Neal, and Yao Ming.
The tallest NBA player on record was Manute Bol who stood at 7'6" when he joined the league in 1985.
Following Rioux's announcement, many people were in awe of his size and compared his ceiling to that of Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren, who measure 7'4" and 7'0" respectively.
"Finally someone for Wembanyama to look up to," one Twitter user joked.
A photo Bleacher Report posted showed a child standing next to Rioux, highlighting his massive height.
While it remains to be seen whether Rioux will succeed in Florida or not, his height should be enough to give him an advantage on the glass.
