VIDEO: Hawks raise Dikembe Mutombo's number to rafters

One of the largest players in Atlanta Hawks history received the tallest honor Tuesday night.

During halftime of Tuesday's game against the Boston Celtics, the Hawks honored Dikembe Mutombo, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, by retiring his No. 55 to the rafters of Philips Arena. And what other than the finger wag - the one he made famous after most if not all of his 3,289 career rejections - could he wave to the crowd with?

While the 7-foot-2 center played for six teams in his 18-year career, he's probably best remembered for his days with the Hawks and Denver Nuggets.

The Congolese-born Mutombo played for the Hawks from 1996 to 2001. Interestingly enough, the Hall of Famer only ranks third in franchise history in total blocks. He retired from the NBA in 2009 as the league's second-leading all-time shot blocker.

In a piece for The Players Tribune published Tuesday, Mutombo - who still resides in Atlanta - said he encourages strangers to give him the finger wag.

"If you see me out on the street some time, I hope you will greet me," Mutombo wrote. "You already know what to do."