JUAREZ (Mexico) - The fans have to look way up in Mexico when they check out the tallest player at the FIBA U16 AmeriCup.
14-year-old Jeremy Gohier, has two things working in his favor and sparking future expectations—representing Canada as the youngest but tallest on their team.
"Nothing scares me about that because I was always the youngest on my basketball team, so I'm confident," said Gohier. "It's pretty good for my age and everything, but like it's my level, so that's why I'm here… to compete."
He listed at 2.29M (7'6"), played a little more than 8 minutes in Monday's 66-62 win over Venezuela.
It'll be a few years before this young star at Nobel Elite in Laval, Canada, enters the senior ranks. But he is already attracting the eyes of the basketball world. Videos of Gohier's exploits on the hardwood have been making the rounds for the past year.
He is the latest example that Canada is among the leading countries giving the basketball world giant players. Zach Edey (2.24M/7'4") is Canadian and the tallest player in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies. Edey was an All-Star Five selection at the 2021 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Riga, and he also played at the FIBA Basketball World Cup two years later in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Edey, 23, just finished his rookie season in the NBA with the Grizzlies, averaging 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in the regular season. Gohier has drawn more comparisons to another Quebecois, Olivier Rioux, 19. Rioux is as tall as a skyscraper at 2.33M (7'8"). He has played at four tournaments with Canada's junior teams, including the 2022 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup and the 2023 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup.
Rioux redshirted for the Florida Gators last season, which means he still has four years of NCAA eligibility left. Americans claim the mythical giant Paul Bunyan to be one of their own, while north of the border, many say the ax-wielding lumberjack is Canadian. However, that's a dispute likely never to be resolved. Canada’s goal in the U16 is to create a winning team by playing the best teams. “Let's win the goal first. I think we have some great competition in this tournament, and the first objective is to qualify to the World Cup for the next year and after, winning the AmeriCup,” said Gohier. A couple of months ago, TSN published a story on Gohier and quoted the player, his parents and coach in Laval, Daniel Mulumba. "His greatest asset, besides him being tall, is his work ethic, and he's really competitive," Mulumba said to TSN. Gohier accepts that there will always be interest in him because of his size.
"Whenever I walk somewhere, everybody looks at me," he said. "Sometimes, well, I'd like to be 1.5 [M] (5'0"), like to disappear, but I prefer to be 2.1 [M] (7'0") and play my sport." The young Canadian player stated in a recent interview that he tries to model his game after star players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić. Gohier also said that having a good vision of the court, being a good shooter, and remaining strong and athletic is the way to be in today’s game. There is no arguing against the fact that Canada is the land of the young basketball giants.
FIBA