Back to the Top News Newsfeed

Q&A: Dikembe Mutombo on the Legacy of His Finger Wag, This NBA Season and More

Dikembe Mutombo had a Hall of Fame basketball career, and he has continued to flourish following his retirement from the NBA.

Mutombo runs the philanthropic Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, which is centered around providing health care to people living in the Democratic Republic of Congo, his home country. He also recently released Mutombo Coffee, seeking to provide new opportunities to women farmers in Africa.

In addition to his service to the world, Mutombo remains a fixture on GEICO’s TV commercials, rejecting shots and showing off his signature finger wag. The trademark gesture, which was also on display in his Coming 2 America cameo—has become so intertwined with his identity that there are times he needs to remind people it is a callback to his time on the basketball court, where he blocked 3,289 shots, second all-time in NBA history.