There is no debating that Dikembe Mutombo is the O.G. of finger wagging. Even in retirement (he’s 50 now), the legend maintains his iconic symbol, whether it's in hilarious commercials or the Celebrity All-Star Game.
Nobody in the NBA blocks shots with the sass Mutombo once did.
You may have noticed finger-wagging, for some reason, turned into a common celebration in Rio. Thus, we need to answer one very important question: how does Mutombo feel about this?
“Copying my move, it really doesn’t bother me,” Mutombo said with a laugh Friday, according to For The Win. “As long as they recognize who they got it from.”
The gesture was most prevalent in the pool, where controversial Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova used it to declare she was No. 1 in the 100-meter women’s breaststroke. The United States’ Lilly King didn’t take too kindly to that message, considering it came from a polarizing swimmer who had twice been suspended for taking banned substances. So King wagged her finger back at Efimova.
It was like an angst-filled, back-and-forth, Olympic tribute to Mutombo—even if they didn't know that's what they were doing. Michael Phelps also wagged his finger, most likely in support of King.
Listen, it doesn't matter why they were waving their fingers. What matters is that for a brief moment this summer, it gave us a reason to talk about Dikembe Mutombo, and everyone can agree that is a good thing. Dikembe Mutombo forever.
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