General
facial
What does facial mean?
A dunk thrown down directly over a defender, humiliatingly close to their face.
"He gave the big man a nasty facial on the drive."
Origin
NBA slang; the dunk is literally in the defender's face.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'facial' mean in basketball?
It's a dunk thrown down directly over a defender, right in their face, in a humiliating way.
How is a 'facial' different from a 'poster'?
They overlap, but a facial emphasizes the dunk being right in the defender's face, while a poster emphasizes it being highlight-worthy over the defender.
Is 'facial' an offensive term?
No, in basketball it simply describes a dunk in a defender's face and is common in NBA slang.
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