Dikembe Mutombo’s most iconic finger wag moments

Mutombo was one of the best defensive players in NBA history. He averaged over two blocks per game, but one of his most iconic defensive moments also birthed his famous finger wag celebration.

It happened in a game on April 9, 1997, when the Atlanta Hawks were playing against the Philadelphia 76ers. Clarence Weatherspoon tried to take on Mutombo at the rim, which was a losing matchup for almost every player who tried to take him on. It was no different for Weatherspoon.

Weatherspoon tried to go up for a shot at the rim, but Mutombo sent the ball away. Weatherspoon retained possession and gave it another try, which helped Mutombo record another block.

For some reason, Weatherspoon tried to do it a third time, and you guessed it, there was a third block. Mutombo felt like it was a good time to let Weatherspoon know who was the boss, as he taunted him with the iconic finger wag celebration.

The crazy part about the moment was that Mutombo had a mini-wag in between every shot. His ability to taunt in-between shots while recording three blocks in five seconds was another chapter in the lore of Mutombo being one of the all-time greats at his role.

Dikembe Mutombo switches it up

The NBA didn’t let us keep having fun with the Mutombo celebration, as they warned of potential taunting violations if he continued to wag his finger in opponents’ faces. Mutombo didn’t stop the motion, as he started wagging at the crowd instead of the opponents.

Mutombo had plenty of chances to break out the taunt. He totaled 3,289 blocks in his career, which was second all-time behind Hakeem Olajuwon. He even recorded one more block at the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, when he went up and stole points and executed the finger wag for a final time in front of a Houston crowd that was loving the nostalgia of the moment.

Dikembe Mutombo’s famous GIF and commercial

Mutombo’s finger wag celebration took on a life of its own during his career. It has become so synonymous with basketball and blocking shots that people still do it 15 years after his retirement. Mutombo being one of the greatest of all time helps it stay relevant, but another way it happened in the internet age is his famous Geico commercial from 2013.

The commercial features Mutombo blocking people from doing things in their everyday lives such as putting things in the garbage can and into a cart at the grocery store. It was an entertaining commercial, but it also gave birth to a famous GIF.

The GIF shows Mutombo in a laundromat, wagging his finger with the words “no, no, no” underneath in block text. If you have a social media account, there’s a good chance you’ve seen someone use the GIF for comedic effect.