The finger wag celebration is BACK ... 'cause NBA rookie Mfiondu Kabengele says he got approval from his Hall of Fame uncle Dikembe Mutombo to use his signature block celebration!!!
... well, sort of. He's just gotta keep his wallet nearby.
TMZ Sports spoke with the 6'10", 250 lb. ex-Florida State star one day after getting drafted by the L.A. Clippers ... and he says he can't wait to get to L.A. and meet his new teammates and coach Doc Rivers.
But, being the relative of one of the all-time greats -- with an equally great trademark celly -- we had to ask if he's gotten Dikembe's approval to use the signature wag.
"I think so, but I gotta pay him every single time when I do it, so I gotta be extra careful with it," Kabengele says.
Now, he could be joking ... or maybe Mutombo's showing his nephew some tough love -- after all, rookies gotta learn, right?
Regardless, Kabengele says his unk is really proud of him for getting drafted ... and excited to see what he can do with the Clippers.