Gators’ Growth: Olivier Rioux’s Debut
In a recent game, the Florida Gators took command in the fourth quarter against North Florida, but one thing was on fans’ minds: they wanted to see Olivier Rioux, the tallest teenager in the world at 7-foot-9. Shouts of “We want Ollie!” echoed throughout the arena.
Finally, with just over two minutes left, Coach Todd Golden sent Rioux onto the court. The crowd erupted, but amusingly, during his brief two-minute stint, he didn’t even touch the ball; all eyes were on him, which, I suppose, is quite the achievement in itself.
“It felt great,” Rioux said afterward, clearly touched by the support he received. “The fans, the bench, everyone was amazing. I feel very grateful.” His presence seemed to light up the place, and even players from the opposing team couldn’t help but smile, like North Florida’s Trey Cadey, who jokingly compared his height to Rioux’s towering frame. I mean, what does that feel like? To stand next to someone that tall?
Interestingly, with Rioux’s appearance, he became the tallest player to ever play in college basketball. When asked about this historic moment, he whimsically remarked, “Maybe another day.” It’s charming how modest he is.
Coach Golden mentioned that the buzz around Rioux’s debut started at halftime, with fans clamoring for it. “I kept telling them, ‘It’ll happen,'” he said.
Rioux is notably a couple of inches taller than former NBA giants like Gheorghe Mureșan and Manute Bol. He’s also three inches taller than big names like Yao Ming and Tacko Fall. Golden praised Rioux’s attitude, even though his playing time has been limited, saying, “He’s maintained a great attitude through it all.”
At halftime, Golden made sure to stress to his players the importance of extending the lead. This way, young players like Rioux could get their moment in the sun. “I talked to them about capitalizing on a good start to allow the bench to play and be productive,” he explained. “We felt this was a good opportunity to get him some experience since the game was under control.”
Looking ahead, Rioux is expected to have another chance to play when the Gators face Florida State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. With that level of excitement around him, who knows what will happen next?
