It’s pretty unusual for anyone to make an NBA star look young — especially if you’re 12 years old.
Olivier Rio, at 7-foot-6, 17 who was recognized as the world’s tallest teen by Guinness in 2021, makes everyone around him look young, even NBA champions like Jamal Murray.
In a photo posted to Rioux’s Instagram in June, the high school senior congratulated Murray on his recent championship with the Denver Nuggets and made a teaser.
“Congratulations to Jamal Murray on winning the NBA Championship with Denver!” Rioux Books. “Do you remember 5 years ago that you were the one asking for the photo?”
He added a laughing emoji for good measure.
In the original photo, the younger Ryo stands a full head taller than Murray, who captioned the photo, “That’s a 6’10 12-year-old.”
One fan commented, “I have a feeling this is going to be one of those pictures you look back on when you play with or against these guys in the league.”
Rio, a native of Montreal, is a rising prospect who plays for the IMG Academy in Florida, as well as with the Canadian Under-17 National Team.
His former coach Joey McKittrick told The Sun that the Canadian center has its sights set on the NBA and is already receiving appeal from Division I coaches.
“The schools that really focus on it are the ones that value volume and want to use it,” McKittrick said.
“Because basketball has kind of gone in a smaller direction [multi-position players]but there are still a lot of programs that still value that size.”
In viral videos shared of his dominant gameplay against high school opponents, Rioux looks like a bruised center that can’t be contained.
“Reminds us of a young Zack Eddy playing for Purdue,” HoopStarsMedia wrote on Twitter. “Rio’s height gives him an advantage in the shot-blocking category. For its size, it moves well, and accelerates on the ground aggressively. It will continue to evolve.”
