Posterized

This article is about dramatic athletic performance on offense. For the graphics technique, see Posterization.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers posterizes former teammate Kevin Love in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 21, 2022.

Posterized is North American slang,[1] derived from an action in the game of basketball in which the offensive player performs a slam dunk over a defending player, in a play that is spectacular and athletic enough to warrant reproduction in a printed poster.[2] The term was originated from Julius Erving, whose high-flying style of play inspired the term. Posterized is also used infrequently to describe similar events in other sports,[3] and it has made its way into business writing.[4]

One of the most famous examples of a player being "posterized" occurred during the 2000 Summer Olympics. 6-foot-6 Vince Carter, playing for Team USA, dunked over 7-foot-2 Frédéric Weis of France. The play was dubbed the "dunk of death".[5]

  1. ^ "NBA: Season of the Brick". The Washington Times. November 22, 1996.
  2. ^ "Washingtonpost.com: Great Shot! Jordan's Best Amazingly Goes One Better". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  3. ^ "Jaguars, Brunell Stand on Wobbly Foundation", Chicago Tribune, Jan 3, 1999
  4. ^ "Team Lucent Tries To 'Be Like Mike'," Communications Today, August 11, 1999
  5. ^ Wallace, Michael; Peterson, Rob (September 25, 2015). "In a Single Bound". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 25, 2015.