Is 13 actually an unlucky number? According to the longest tenured Cavalier, it's not.
What if a player is already wearing the jersey number of your liking when you are traded to a new team?
Ever wonder how a player gets their number?
These questions and more are answered as Cavs.com takes a look at some of the current Cavaliers’ uniform numbers and the stories behind them in this edition of By the Numbers, presented by FanDuel.
8 … Jordan Clarkson: If there was an award for the most laid-back Cavalier, it’d go to Jordan Clarkson. The lithe combo-guard, who arrived in a trade with the Lakers last February – didn’t pick No. 8. It was picked for him, and he was fine with it.
9 … Channing Frye: The easy-going Cavaliers big man has worn a few different numbers over the course of his 13-year career – including two with the Wine & Gold.
Frye wore No. 7 in his first two seasons in New York, donned No. 44 as a Trailblazer and was No. 8 with Phoenix and Orlando before taking No. 9 when he arrived in Cleveland in a Deadline deal back in 2016. (Matthew Dellavedova was sporting No. 8 at the time.)
He went back to No. 8 to start last season, but was traded to the Lakers in early February. And when he re-signed with the Cavaliers before this season – with Clarkson claiming his old number – Frye returned to the digit he wore when the Cavaliers took the NBA title in his first season in Cleveland.
13 … Tristan Thompson: The fourth-year forward from Texas has always worn No. 13 and does so because of his birthday, March 13. Asked if he was worried about a bad luck number, the former Longhohrn insisted: “No, it’s actually good luck!”
16 … Cedi Osman: The skilled and affable small forward from Turkey started his rookie Training Camp with No. 33, moved to No. 9 and then to his current number 16. All the mishegas began when Cedi (or at least his uniform number) got between a pair of future Hall of Famers.
“So, the thing is, overseas I was wearing No. 6 – and LeBron also wore No. 6 on the practice court, so it was impossible to take it. So I picked No. 9 because it's, like, 6 from the other side.
“And when D. Wade came, they were like: 'Hey, Cedi, we have to talk about your number.' And I said: 'Sure, no problem, whatever you want.'
“Actually, a couple friends of mine texted me and said: ‘Do you know that you're going to change your number?’ I said: 'Of course. I'm going to get an American number.’ I didn't understand that we were talking about the jerseys. They said: ‘No, I'm not talking about your American number. I'm talking about your jersey.’
“I didn't know what they meant. And then I checked on Twitter and they were talking about my Number 9 going to Wade. But, it's all good. So, I picked No. 16, so I still get to have a ‘6.’”