15 Signature Taunts That Will Never Get Old

Dikembe Mutombo's signature finger wag is one of the greatest taunts in sports.  

Collectively, athletes are a competitive bunch, so it's not surprising a healthy amount of opponent taunting and provocation exists.

Some athletes even go as far as to create or adopt a signature move like Mutombo—something he either invented or at least popularized, a move that is forever associated with his legacy.

From Michael Jordan to Ric Flair, here are 15 signature taunts that have either stood the test of time or just might (in the case of a few new examples). Watching YouTube videos of these moves, impersonating them, reminiscing about them, you name it—they just don't get old.

Dishonorable mention to James Harden/Lil B's cooking dance and Johnny Manziel's money hands. Those are definitely old.  

Honorable Mentions: Celebrations

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Celebrations can certainly double as taunts, even if mocking isn't their sole purpose. Even though the following signature moves originated as celebrations, their flagrancy almost assuredly annoyed some opposing players and fans anyway: 

• Jamal Anderson's Dirty Bird 
• Deion Sanders' Prime-Time Dance (NSFW)
• Tiger Williams' Stick Ride
• Cam Newton's Superman 
• Allen Iverson's Hand to the Ear
• Rob Gronkowski's Spike
• Aaron Rodgers' Championship Belt
• Alvin Harper's Goal-Post Dunk

Richard Sherman's 'Good Game' Pat

Is there a more ruthless way to taunt an opponent than give him the "good game" butt slap after a loss?  

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has made a habit of this, notably with former San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2013 and former Niners wide receiver Michael Crabtree in 2014.

Sherman was fined $7,875 for unsportsmanlike conduct and taunting on the Crabtree incident.

Chicken Dance, as Performed by Brian Boyle

Ah, the chicken dance—such a simple taunt, yet it's so telling.  

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brian Boyle certainly didn't invent the dance, and it's too early to even call it his signature move. Yet its symbolism is enduring.

Boyle squared up to fight Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader during a playoff game in April, but Abdelkader declined.

Chicken dance—on point.

Usain Bolt's 'Shh'

ERIC FEFERBERG/Getty Images

OK, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt wasn't the first person to use the "shh" move. In fact, Michael Jordan famously drew his finger to his lips to silence a heckler during a 1995 game.

Bolt's "shh" has become one of his signature gestures, however. He famously used it to symbolically silence detractors in 2012.

After winning gold in the 200-meter event at the London Olympics, Bolt said, "That was for all that people that doubted me, all the people that was talking all kinds of stuff that I wasn't going to do it, I was going to be beaten. I was just telling them: You can stop talking now, because I am a legend," per the New York Post.

A legend indeed. 

Nick Van Exel/LeBron James' 'The Silencer'

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has his own taunt meant to silence opposing fans. It's not a "shh" but rather a downward press of both hands.  

James explained the move is borrowed from another, now retired, NBA player.

He told Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post after an 11-of-15 shooting night in 2013, "Yeah, I'm on my Nick Van Exel thing right now, anybody who knows the history of the game. The fans are always on me on the road, they stay on me, they continue to say I can't shoot the ball, I can't shoot."

Cristiano Ronaldo's 'Calm Down'

El Clasico is one of the greatest events in sports—Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, a rivalry as large as Spain itself.

And there is no love lost between the two clubs. Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo has directed his famous "calm down" taunt at Barca fans more than once after netting goals against their team.  

Ronaldo pulled out the move in March 2015, prompting La Liga president Javier Tebas to consider punishment for taunting. 

Justin Block of Complex wrote, "As an invader into Barcelona's home stadium, it's done purposefully, and done to incite a pissed off reaction from a hostile crowd. 'Just shut up and let me work,' he's telling tens of thousands of proud Catalans, who hate the Portuguese hair model with every bit of energy."

John Cena's 'You Can't See Me'

Taunting is a way of life in the WWE. Signature taunts of professional wrestlers could have their own list (and do, actually), and John Cena's "you can't see me" would have to be included. 

The move actually originated as an inside joke with his brother. Cena explained in Steve Pantaleo's book Hustle, Loyalty & Respect: The World of John Cena, "This stupid song came on, we started dancing around and my brother Sean did this dance from a video where he moves his head around his hands," per WWE.com. 

The taunt has permeated other sports as well. In 2015, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista used it after a spectacular throw. And former NBAer DeShawn Stevenson used something that looked a lot like it, although with him, it was known as the "I can't feel my face" gesture. 

Terrell Owens Dancing on the Star

Retired wide receiver Terrell Owens practically specialized in taunting celebrations during his NFL career.

There was that time he mocked Ray Lewis' signature dance and that other time he carried a Sharpie in his sock just so he could autograph a touchdown ball immediately after he caught it.

Definitely the most ruthless taunting, however, came in 2000 when T.O. scored against the Dallas Cowboys and ran to midfield to celebrate on the famous star. 

The Cowboys were not happy, to say the least. Owens tried the same stunt later in the game but got laid out by Dallas defensive back George Teague.

The New England Patriots pulled the same stunt in 2007 after beating the San Diego Chargers in the playoffs. Per the New York Daily News, the players celebrated "like a bunch of Terrell Owens wannabes."

Mario Elie's 'Kiss of Death'

Game 7 of the 1995 Western Conference semifinals, Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns. This was the site of one of the NBA's most legendary taunts.

It came courtesy of Rockets shooting guard/small forward Mario Elie after he hit a go-ahead three with 7.1 seconds remaining.

Elie turned to the Phoenix bench and blew the Suns players a kiss, the "kiss of death" as it were.

Houston held on to win the game, and Rockets Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon said, "I told (Elie) he was a wicked man. He didn't just go for two. He went for the three," per Greg Rajan of the Houston Chronicle.

Mickey Mantle's Bat Flip

Jose Bautista's bat flip in the 2015 postseason was the stuff of instant legends, but the Toronto Blue Jays slugger certainly wasn't the first guy to use that particular move.

In fact, New York Yankees icon Mickey Mantle was flipping bats before Bautista was even born.  

On the topic of the flip's actual inventor, Ryan Hatch of NJ.com wrote, "That question, of course, has no real answer—ball players could have been bat-flipping in 1895 and we will probably never know. But perhaps Yankees' legend Mickey Mantle could be considered one of the pioneers of the bat flip."

Dave Stevenson of Fansided called the Mick "the original king of bat flips."

Fans might not think immediately of Mantle whenever a ballplayer flips a bat—it's become so common and all—but the move definitely isn't getting old. At least not for those on Team Make Baseball Fun Again.

Reggie Miller's Choke

The Indiana Pacers-New York Knicks rivalry of the 1990s was legendary, so much so that Pacers sharpshooter Reggie Miller earned the nickname Knick Killer for his clutch performances against New York.

The two teams faced each other in the playoffs six times in eight years, including the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals.

The Pacers trailed by 12 at the start of the fourth quarter in Game 5, and Miller exploded for 25 points in the period. The Pacers won, 93-86, and Miller—an infamous trash-talker—taunted Knicks fan Spike Lee with a choking gesture after the game.

The Knicks went on to win the series.

Muhammad Ali's 'Get Up and Fight'

John Rooney/Associated Press

When it comes to taunting, Muhammad Ali was the Michael Jordan of boxing. His "Float like a butterfly, sting Like a bee" quote is immortal.

One of Ali's most famous instances of taunting, however, came after the Sonny Liston fight in 1965.

After knocking Liston out in the first round (perhaps via phantom punch), Ali stood over his opponent and yelled, "Get up and fight, sucker," per Harvey Araton of the New York Times.

Dikembe Mutombo's Finger Wag

"Not in my house," says Dikembe Mutombo's famous finger wag.

The 7'2" retired NBA center popularized the move during his Hall of Fame career in the 1990s and 2000s, as he denied shooters with vicious blocks left and right and then taunted them for even trying to score.  

Mutombo doesn't recall when he first wagged his finger, but he did tell Max Blau of Buzzfeed, "Back then, I would shake my head when I used to block shots. I really didn't have a signature…I had to come up with something [for when] I was dominating a game."

Toronto Raptors center Bismack Biyombo revitalized the move during the 2016 NBA playoffs. There was a little (only semi-serious) controversy over the imitation, but in the end, Mutombo told Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com, "You can copy something you like."

Ric Flair's 'Woo'

Ric Flair's famous "Woo" taunt is one of the most iconic in professional wrestling. It's just one syllable, but it became synonymous with the legendary Flair himself as he repeatedly bellowed it into the faces of his opponents.  

For real, the man cannot stop yelling "Woo!" 

The retired WWE Hall of Famer even had a podcast called Woo! Nation until it went on hiatus in April.

Babe Ruth's 'Called Shot'

One of sports' most famous signature taunts might not have even been one.

All-time MLB great Babe Ruth smashed a home run during the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

The debatable part is whether the Babe "called his shot" before he hit it, or if his legendary bat point was simply directed at the bleachers, the opposing bench or even Cubs pitcher Charlie Root.

Though serious doubts exists, the enduring part about this taunt is the debate it still inspires. MLB's official historian, John Thorn, once said, "It doesn't matter whether Ruth called his shot. What matters is that we're still talking about it," per Larry Getlen of the New York Post.

Michael Jordan's Blind Free Throw

Michael Jordan is the taunting GOAT. He authored so many epic trash-talking moments in his career, it's hard to pick just one signature taunt. So instead, let's go with the most impressive.  

In a 1991 game against the Denver Nuggets, Jordan toyed with then-rookie Dikembe Mutombo at the free-throw line.

He said, per ESPN.com, "Hey Mutombo, this one's for you," closed his eyes, and drained the shot.

What an absolute boss.