Émile Rioux, Olivier’s older brother, grew up alongside him in Quebec and helped shape his early basketball development.
Olivier Rioux has taken the basketball world by storm, breaking records before he even finished his first college season.
This Canadian star was born on February 2, 2006, in Terrebonne, Quebec. He plays center for the Florida Gators in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
World Records crowned him the tallest teenager in the world in 2021, when he measured 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) at just 15 years old.
He currently stands at an extraordinary 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m).
Olivier started playing basketball at age five and quickly turned heads internationally.
He played for Real Madrid before enrolling at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
He later committed to the University of Florida in November 2023 and successfully reclassified into the class of 2024.
On November 6, 2025, he checked into the final minutes of Florida’s 104–64 win over North Florida, becoming the tallest player in college basketball history to appear in a game.
On the international stage, he has represented Canada in multiple FIBA youth tournaments, including the U16 Americas Championship, U17 World Cup, U19 World Cup, and the U18 AmeriCup, earning two bronze medals at the youth level.
Olivier Rioux Older Brother, Émile Rioux, Shares His Family’s Towering Athletic Legacy
Olivier’s extraordinary journey is rooted in a family that practically breathes basketball and height.
His older brother, Émile Rioux, plays a significant role in that story.
Born around October 17, 2002, Émile grew up alongside Olivier in Terrebonne and later in the Anjou borough of Montreal and the suburb of Beloeil.
Émile comes from the same remarkable gene pool that produced Olivier.
Their father, Jean-François Rioux, stands 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and works at SupremeX Inc., a packaging company in Quebec, after previously working in photography — a passion he still holds.
Their mother, Anne Gariépy, measures 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) and works at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).
Both parents are retired volleyball players who passed down their athleticism and stature to both sons.
Émile himself stands between 6 ft 9 in and 6 ft 11 in (2.06–2.11 m), making him impressively tall in his own right — though his younger brother eventually eclipsed him.
Olivier famously recalled the moment he outgrew his entire family:
“At my meemaw’s house, we had the wall where me and my brother used to measure ourselves. And then one day, poof, my brother was gone.”
Like Olivier, Émile picked up basketball at around age five. He developed his game through Canadian AAU circuits, playing for multiple teams including Brookwood Elite, the French Phenoms, and the Tornades de Longueuil.
The brothers trained together regularly, competing as teammates on several AAU rosters throughout their youth.
At the high school level, Émile first attended École Secondaire De Mortagne in Boucherville, Canada.
He later transferred to Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire, where he competed as a 6 ft 10 in forward in the Class of 2022.
During his senior season at Kimball, he trained and played alongside notable prospects including Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Joshua Mein, and Georges Lefebvre.
A 2019 mixtape captured a 16-year-old Émile as a skilled 6 ft 9 in power forward, showcasing his scoring, rebounding, and defensive abilities.
Émile also represented Canada at the international youth level through FIBA competition, though detailed statistics from those appearances remain limited.
By 2022, colleges in Division I were paying attention to the older Rioux brother.
Bryant University offered him a scholarship, and more than ten Division I programs showed interest.
Émile didn’t sign up for a college program, even though he got a lot of attention. He didn’t get picked in the 2024 NBA Draft.
