Social media went into a frenzy when a 7-foot-9 redshirt freshman from Florida became the tallest player to score in a college basketball game when he scored the first points of his career on Wednesday, Dec. 17, in a 102-61 win over Saint Francis.
The crowd went into a frenzy when the 19-year-old Rioux, with 42 seconds left in the game, threw down a dunk.
The Florida bench erupted after the score, with one player on the court even flexing, and the home fans roared with a standing ovation, some jumping up and down.
Florida has two more non-conference matchups against Colgate on Sunday, Dec. 21, and Dartmouth on Dec. 29, before beginning SEC play, likely representing the last opportunities for Rioux to take the floor this year.
The 19-year-old Canadian had become the tallest player to play on a college court when he made his debut last month.
Rioux had previously held the record for the world’s tallest teenager according to Guinness World Records in 2021, when he stood at 2.26 m (7 ft 5 in).
Could Rioux make it to the NBA?
Well, Rioux has a long way to go to make a successful NBA debut.
If he truly aspires to reach the highest level of the game, Rioux will have to stand out from his competitors in more ways than just height.
The tallest player in the NBA: Victor Wembanyama
France’s rumor is 21-year-old Victor Wembanyama, who is the tallest player in the NBA at 7 feet 4 inches (2.24 m) compared to the San Antonio Spurs.
Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies is next in line, aged 23 and standing 2.21 m (7 ft 3 in).
The NBA website lists three other players with a height of 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in).
They are Donovan Clingan, 23, of the Portland Trail Blazers, Walker Kessler, 24, of the Utah Jazz, and Kristaps Porzingis of the Atlanta Hawks.
The tallest players in NBA history are listed as Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan, both measuring 7 feet 7 inches (2.31 m).
Bol’s NBA tenure lasted from 1985 to 1997, while Muresan, nicknamed the “Giant,” was active from 1991 to 2001.
