Counting Down the Cavs: Breaking Down the Number 13 in Cavaliers History

13 days until the Cavaliers play their first game of the 2026/27 regular season.

Mar 27, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) reacts after he was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cavs played their first preseason game yesterday and are now 13 days away from the start of the regular season.

There have been a good number of athletes to wear the number 13, specifically one man who wore it for over 10 years in Cleveland. First, we started off in 1982 for the first player to wear it.

James Silas - 1982

Silas was a legend in San Antonio before his time with the Cavs. He played in both the ABA and NBA for San Antonio and was the first jersey retired by the Spurs in 1984.

But after his time in San Antonio, he played for the Cavs in his final days for 67 games and averaged 11 points a game. It was a drop in performance from his usual explosive offense but a back injury hindered him late in his career.

At the end of his career, he is considered one of the best ABA players of all time.

John Amaechi - 1996

Despite playing in only 28 games for the Cavaliers, he was the very first undrafted player to start his first career game.

He would go on to get released by the Cavs after that 1996 season and play overseas before returning to the NBA in 1999.

In 2007, Amaechi was also one of the first former NBA players to come out as gay.

Delonte West - 2008-2010

There is a lot to say about Delonte West and his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After being traded to the Cavs from Seattle, he came in as a force defensively for the Cavs and was tasked with guarding players of any size.

He was one of the most impactful players on the team in those seasons and a great compliment to LeBron James.

HIs time in Cleveland ended after some legal trouble and some off the court issues with the team and LeBron. After retiring from basketball at just 28 years old, West struggled with mental health and it ended his career too early.

Tristan Thompson - 2012-2020, 2024-2025

Tristan Thompson played a big role for the Cavs in his 11 years with the team. He was an iron man for the team at one point playing 447 consecutive games for the team. He left after 9 years before returning in 2023 and retired in Cleveland.

One of only four Cavs players with 5,000 points and 5,000 rebounds Thompson was an undersized center at just 6'9 but he battled for every rebound and was strong on the court.

In franchise history, Thompson sits third all-time in total rebounds and fifth in games played with 708.

Despite normally being an unlucky number, 13 could potentially become a number hanging up in the rafters in the future.