Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 basketball player from Quebec, made U.S. President Donald Trump look small, and that’s no easy feat.
The Terrebonne-born centre, officially recognized by Guinness as the world’s tallest teenager, visited the White House this week alongside his University of Florida teammates. The Gators were being honoured for their NCAA championship win, but it was Rioux’s staggering height (and Trump’s candid reaction) that quickly stole the spotlight.
“You’re a beautiful-looking guy,” Trump could be heard saying in a social media clip shared by Special Assistant to the President Margo Martin. “To be that tall, I think it’s great!”
Trump, whose own son Barron is famously tall at around 6-foot-9, turned to the rest of the team and asked, “Is he a good player?”
“What a big advantage, huh?” he added.
The President wasn’t wrong. Clips of Rioux dunking with ease — barely needing to leave the ground — have made him a viral sensation, showing just how dominant his reach can be on the court.
And after Florida took home the championshipthis spring, Rioux didn’t even need a ladder to cut the netting.
Born and raised in Montreal’s Anjou borough, Rioux has been turning heads for years. He’s represented Canada internationally, trained in Spain, and now plays centre for the Gators, having joined the NCAA in the 2024–25 season.
And if all goes well, it might not be his last White House visit.
Scouts are already watching him closely — and should he one day hoist an NBA championship trophy, Rioux, who wears size 20 shoes, could return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in even more historic fashion.
So how does he measure up to basketball’s biggest stars?
Well, he’s already a whole foot taller than LeBron James (6-foot-9) and towers over legends like Shaquille O’Neal (7-foot-1) and Yao Ming (7-foot-6). If drafted, Rioux would surpass Gheorghe Mureșan (7-foot-7) as the tallest player in NBA history.
