HOUSTON -- Before the Texans faced the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium on Sunday, former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo was caught in what looked like a finger-wag lesson with Texans defensive end J.J. Watt.
Well, it wasn't exactly that.
"No, I was just telling him that he's just a copycat and I'm the original," Mutombo said on the sideline before the game. "... I cannot pass all of my recipe to him. I want him to pay some royalty for using my finger wag."
So was it a business meeting?
"No, we have not discussed price yet," Mutombo said. "But we need to sit down and talk about it."
Watt wags his finger at opposing quarterbacks after batting their passes -- he's had 37 in his career -- as a reminder that they shouldn't try to throw over him.
Mutombo, who was the fourth overall selection in the 1991 NBA draft, wagged his finger after blocking shots during a career that included eight all-star selections. His 3,289 blocked shots rank second in NBA history after Hakeem Olajuwon.
While he jokes about wanting payment each time Watt borrows his signature move, Watt has an admirer in Mutombo.
"To know that the legacy is still going on, I think it brings so much joy to my heart," Mutombo said. "... He's having fun out here defensively. He's letting the world know, 'Listen, I'm here to play football, I'm happy, I'm doing what Mutombo used to do.' That's what life is about."
