General
posterize
What does posterize mean?
To dunk over a defender in dramatic fashion, making them look helpless. The image is worthy of a poster, with the dunked-on player forever the backdrop.
"LeBron just posterized the center on that baseline drive."
Origin
From basketball posters that immortalized famous dunks; popularized in NBA culture from the 1990s onward.
Frequently asked questions
What does posterize mean in basketball?
It means to dunk over a defender so emphatically that the moment looks like it belongs on a poster, with the defender left helpless underneath.
Where does the term posterize come from?
It comes from the era of iconic NBA dunk posters, where a spectacular slam over an opponent would be immortalized as a wall poster.
Is getting posterized a bad thing?
Yes, for the defender. Being posterized means you were the victim in a highlight-reel dunk that gets replayed and celebrated at your expense.
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