Olivier Rioux has a knack for commanding attention, even when he‘s not on the court. Just the other day, he trended online after being featured in a video alongside Shaquille O‘Neal — and inexplicably making Shaq appear tiny. That‘s how huge Rioux is.
At 7 feet 9 inches, Rioux is not only the tallest member of the Florida Gators — he’s the world’s tallest teenager, as certified by Guinness World Records. Last year, the 19-year-old Canadian broke his own record, adding two inches in two months to reach 7-foot-9 from 7-foot-7. Yep, you read that right. Two inches in just two months!
Rioux’s height has been impressive since he was young. He was already 6-foot-1 when he was only eight years old and cleared the seven-foot mark before he even reached the seventh grade. At 16, he was 7-foot-5, making him the world’s tallest teenager officially. He‘s currently three inches from being 8 feet tall, which makes him the tallest player to ever wear Division-I basketball jersey.
The teenager played high school ball at the power program, IMG Academy in Florida before committing to the Gators. He was already the world’s tallest teenager when he first arrived on campus. In 2019, he even played in a tournament for Real Madrid — one of Europe’s largest basketball clubs — demonstrating that his game is not about height alone.
So, how is he so tall? Although medical reasons such as gigantism could have been present, doctors have eliminated that possibility. So, let‘s get up close and personal with the family of this basketball giant.
Who are Olivier Rioux’s parents? What do they do for a living?
Olivier Rioux‘s massive height is no longer a surprise if you know his parents. He‘s the son of Jean-François and Anne Gariépy — and both of them have remarkable athletic and professional histories.
Jean-François, Rioux‘s dad, is a retired volleyball player, so that explains where the athletic genes are inherited from. Now, his father works as a photographer. As for his mom, Anne, she is an employee of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), so the family has a combination of professional and athletic success.
Rioux was born in Terrebonne, Quebec, on Feb. 2, 2006. He weighed a healthy 7.5 pounds at birth and began growing rapidly. At the end of his first month, he tipped the scales at 16 pounds — more than twice his birth weight. His growth never quite slowed after that.
By the fifth grade, he was already 5-foot-2. And when he reached the age of 15, he was 7-foot-5 and officially listed in the Guinness World Records as the tallest teenager in the world. “We’re still not 100% [sure] why I’m so tall,” Rioux told Guinness in 2022. “After investigation, doctors could only explain it with the genetics that my family has.”
How tall are Olivier Rioux’s parents?
The 19-year-old sure takes after his parents when it comes to height. His dad, Jean-François, stands tall at 6-foot-8, which is taller than most NBA players. While his mom, Anne, is 6-foot-2, which is above the average height threshold of WNBA players.
On an interview with Yahoo Sports, commented, “My father is 6’8″, my mom is 6’2″, and my older brother is 6’9″. So we’re a pretty tall family.” Of course, one could tell it’s in the genes of the family. Needless to say, his tall parents attributed to his height and athletic potential.
Does Olivier Rioux have a brother? How tall is he?
Indeed, Olivier Rioux has an older brother by the name of Émile — and sure enough, he‘s also quite tall. Émile is 6-foot-9 and was a former basketball player. Olivier and Émile both competed on various Canadian AAU squads throughout childhood, so yeah, the talent really is a family thing.
Rioux has discussed how having a tall family made it simpler for him to adapt to the scrutiny his height attracts. “You don’t have a single three seconds to yourself when you’re outside, which I was fine with because my brother and my dad are tall. And, as a family, we used to go out. That’s just how it was, and you can’t change that because people are curious,” Rioux told the Associated Press.
Living among tall people, Rioux became accustomed to being in the limelight. Whereas most children would feel like fish out of water standing over everyone else at school, fortunately, it wasn’t the case for him.
Owing to his colossal height, the Gators center‘s basketball career started at a young age. He began playing at age five and soon established himself in Canada‘s national squads. OR competed in the 2021 FIBA U16 Americas Championship, with Canada capturing bronze as he averaged 8.3 points and 10.3 rebounds. The 7’9″ claimed another bronze in the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup with 4.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per outing.
In 2023, Rioux competed in the U19 World Cup in Hungary, and although his stats were not flashy (3.2 points, 3.4 rebounds), his size and defensive presence were game-changers. His size automatically has him at an advantage on the court — in one net-cutting ceremony, Rioux didn‘t even need a ladder to cut the net. He simply reached up and dealt with it like it was no big deal.
Currently, Olivier Rioux is concentrated on the game, but the NBA is already keeping an eye. If he continues to develop with the Gators, his worth — both on and off the court could soar.
The post Who Are Olivier Rioux’s Parents? Everything You Need to Know About Florida Gators’ 7ft Star’s Family Life appeared first on EssentiallySports.