Seven-foot 13-year-old's Real Madrid basketball début
Seven-foot 13-year-old's Real Madrid basketball début
A SEVEN-FOOT teenager has sparked debate about whether he should continue with his junior basketball team or be promoted to the adult side after beating his rivals 49-121.
Olivier Roux, from Canada, is just 13 years old and is already 2.18 metres (7'2") tall, towering above his colleagues on the Real Madrid Under-13 and Under-14 teams.
His début with the top-ranking club was at an away match this weekend, when he scored 20 points against BBA Castelldefels (Barcelona province) within minutes.
The youngster, to spectators, apparently had an easy ride thanks to his height, meaning the result of the FIBA International U13 and U14 Tournament was almost a foregone conclusion and BBA Castelldefels players went home disheartened.
Comments on social media afterwards said it was not fair on Real Madrid's rivals.
But others pointed out that for Olivier to play in the U13 squad was unfair on the lofty teen, too.
His promise in the sport has been described as 'off the planet', and playing matches he is certain to win for his team means he is not being challenged enough.
Many fans have said that at Olivier's age, matches are more a training ground for players' later career than victories being of any great importance, and the Canadian is not being stretched sufficiently.
Social media users say he should be bumped up onto a team with much older boys or even adults so he can realise his full potential.
Olivier is pictured above (centre, in white) on a screen shot from YouTube footage of the match, taken by Real Madrid.
