Posterized

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

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]

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

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]