So far this season, Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson has worn jersey number 12.
This, however, will change, beginning with tonight’s contest against the Chicago Bulls.
On Monday, the Cavaliers revealed that Thompson has changed his jersey number by posting a photo of his new number 13 jersey hanging in his locker on social media.
The jersey number was last occupied by former Cleveland point guard Ricky Rubio, who agreed to a contract buyout with the team and retired from the NBA 11 days ago.
But Thompson wearing the number 13, has been a very familiar sight for fans of the Wine and Gold for many years. The 32-year-old played his first nine NBA seasons with the Cavaliers, sporting the jersey number in all 619 regular-season and 78 postseason contests he played in for the team in this span.
While donning the number for Cleveland, Thompson has averaged 9.4 points, 8.7 rebounds per game during the regular season. He also won four Eastern Conference Championships and the 2016 NBA Championship, the Wine and Gold’s sole NBA Championship in franchise history.
The veteran big man also wore number 13 during his time with the Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings.
But 13 and 12 have not been the only jersey numbers that Thompson has worn during his NBA career. He wore number 11 with the Indiana Pacers, number three with the Bulls, and number nine with the Los Angeles Lakers.
But now, Thompson will once again wear the jersey number that not he not only wore during his collegiate career at the University of Texas, but made into a longtime staple for Cleveland.
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