In the aisles of a shopping center in Tours, the player of Tours Métropole Basket (ProB) does not go unnoticed.

"Look, it's the giant of TikTok!", Launches a young man to his boyfriend.

The teenagers ask him for a selfie, Vincent complies with good grace.

It is even he who realizes it.

Its huge arms allow even more recoil.

The technique is well established, assures the 29-year-old athlete.

"Before I systematically refused selfies with strangers, I didn't want to be a freak," he recalls.

"Since I've been present on social networks, it's different. It's almost a duty to say yes".

Professional basketball player Vincent Pourchot takes a selfie with two young admirers, in Tours on April 13, 2022 GUILLAUME SOUVANT AFP

The basketball player has made his height an advantage.

Over the seasons, he has become the club's mascot, and much more since he has been broadcasting his videos.

"I took the plunge during confinement. One evening, I filmed myself dancing to demonstrate that it was impossible for me to see myself entirely in the mirrors of my apartment," he explains.

"The video wasn't great, but I posted it on TikTok anyway. What a surprise when I woke up!"

Coming out of a bed in which he can only lie down diagonally, the pivot has indeed noticed that his video had been "liked" by nearly 200,000 people.

"Since that day, I decided to stage my status as a giant," he says.

"I feel useful"

And the results exceeded all his hopes.

The Messin now totals 1.6 million subscribers on TikTok.

Mainly young people who revel in its daily inconveniences told with humor.

Vincent is for example obliged to lower his head before going through each door or to sit on a chair to do the dishes.

Professional basketball player Vincent Pourchot at home in his kitchen, in Tours on April 13, 2022 GUILLAUME SOUVANT AFP

He films himself in the too small bathrooms of hotels or also plays with the advantages of his size.

"I change light bulbs easily," he smiles.

"I assume my large size, I live very well with it," he swears before taking on his new role.

"Not everyone does. I just got a message from a boy being bullied at school because of his height. He assures me that my videos have given him back his confidence. I I feel useful."

The colossus of Touraine is also transformed into an influencer, he who gives his good addresses in clothing.

Finding XXXL is indeed not easy, even if in private, he admits to having found a solution... family.

"My mother has a passion for sewing," he says.

"I recently gave her the Rolls-Royce of sewing machines. She's the one who makes my joggings, my T-shirts and my suits."

Over the months, the almost thirty-something has become an example for all people who suffer from their physical differences.

His notoriety has now far exceeded the floors.

When Tours plays away, young aficionados and fans of the giant, who sometimes know nothing about basketball, travel to see it.

Professional basketball player Vincent Pourchot at home with a meter unrolled at 2m22, in Tours on April 13, 2022 GUILLAUME SOUVANT AFP

Solicited on television sets, the slender pivot has also been approached by the cinema.

"I was offered a good role in a feature film, but I had to be free for more than a month. It's incompatible with professional basketball", regrets Vincent Pourchot.

But his popularity continues to feed his projects: he would see himself as a writer, just to continue to promote "the strength of difference".

© 2022 AFP