Watch: Gators' Olivier Rioux Meets Shaq

At 7-foot-1, there aren't many who can say they have the privilege of being taller than NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal. There is one in Gainesville, Florida, though, that can not only say he's taller, but he can say he towers over the hall-of-famer.

Florida Gators freshman center Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 freshman center, recently teamed up with O'Neal in a nine-second skit showcasing the two's heights. The video, originally shared by the account PasionBasketNBA on X, can be viewed below.

Shaq meets Florida #Gators center Oliver Rioux. pic.twitter.com/A2KCkUX0Ba
— OnlyGators.com: Florida Gators news (@onlygators) January 12, 2025

Rioux has quickly become a fan-favorite among college basketball fans due to his record-breaking height. The 7-foot-9 Canadian is the Guiness World Record holder for tallest teenager, and the attention that comes with his height is something that he doesn't shy away from.

"I mean, you get asked questions every day," Rioux told Gators Illustrated in October. 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," Rioux said. "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 has yet to play in a game this season for the Gators, which recently moved to 15-1 after a 30-point win over No. 1 Tennessee and an eight-point win at Arkansas. Florida already expressed plans to redshirt the walk-on this season.

"I should have made that clear, because, and honestly, it's put him in a tough situation," head coach Todd Golden said in November. "He's sitting over there at the end of the games, and everybody's yelling at him and trying to get him out there, and they just hadn't understood that that was our potential plan for him.

"So that's where we're at at this moment. I'm not saying that's 100% gonna be the plan. We'll continue to talk to him and see if he, you know, changes what he wants to do, but as of right now, that's the plan that we're gonna have with him as we move forward.”

It should be noted, too, that O'Neal's daughter, Me'Arah, is a freshman on the Gators' women's basketball team. The younger O'Neal is averaging 5.1 points in just over 15 minutes a game for Florida.

"What I did tell her is, 'Go where you're needed, not where you're wanted. Because if you go where you're wanted and they got other people like you, may take a while.' I want [my kids] to have their own journey, have their own experience," O'Neal said at the time of his daughter's signing.

Rioux and the men's team return to the court on Tuesday at 9 p.m. for a home matchup against Missouri, which will be televised on ESPNU. Meanwhile, Me'Arah and the women's team will also matchup against Missouri today in Columbia. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. with streaming coverage on SEC Network+/.