Counting Down the Cavs: Breaking Down the Number 19 in Cleveland's History

After a few days of well worn jerseys that have a long history in Cleveland, but now we are back to the number 19. Which has just three players to have worn the number.

It has not been worn since 2023, with the first time being in 1973.

Lenny Wilkens 1973-1974

Wilkens played a short stint in Cleveland at the end of his career. The 6’1 guard averaged 20 points and 8 assists in his 13th NBA season at 35 years old and was an All-Star.

Although he only played two seasons in Cleveland, his history with the team comes from his post basketball career. He was a pivotal coach for the Cavaliers from 1986 to 1993. He developed that young core of Price and Daugherty.

It was said Wilkens brought a kind of class to the Cavaliers in his time coaching. Leading the team to three separate 50 win seasons, the only heartbreak in his coaching came when they faced the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs.

At the end of his time with the team, he was the winningest coach in Cavaliers history with 316 wins, which still stands to this day. He is a three time Naismith Hall of Famer as a player, coach, and a member of the 1992 Dream Team.

In 2022, Wilkens was added to the Cavaliers Wall of Honor.

Damon Jones 2006-2008

30 years went by before the number 19 would be seen again in Cleveland when Damon Jones would wear the number for his three seasons with the Cavs.

He played 209 games and averaged 6.6 points a game. His time in Cleveland was popular as he was a big personality on the team. Famously calling himself the “greatest shooter in the world” at one point.

During a playoff game in 2006, he famously hit a game winner against the Wizards after LeBron James got the ball into Jones hands after some trash talk to Gilbert Arenas.

After his playing career, Jones was an assistant coach on the 2016 NBA Championship Cavaliers and has had some more famous moments recently that I am sure he likely wishes he was not involved with.

In 2018 there was the soup incident when JR Smith threw a bowl of soup at him which led to him getting a one game suspension.

There was also last year when he was involved in a major gambling scandal in the NBA about leaking insider information to sports bettors and taking part in a mafia-tied poker ring.

Raul Neto 2023

Not a history for the team like the two before him, Neto played 48 games for the Cavs at the end of his career and averaged 3.3 points.

Neto played as a solid role player for multiple NBA teams in his 8 year career.

Despite only three players wearing the number for the team, the history is actually pretty large for non playing moments. Tune in tomorrow as we go over the number 18 and who wore the number.

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