Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13.  There?s time enough to be afraid, today I?m not in the fear business ? I deal in hope, frivolity, and abundant trivia.  So on this Friday the 13th, let?s take a tour of the number 13, NBA style.

According to Basketball-Reference, 139 players have worn the number 13 in NBA history.  The best of this group is easily Wilt Chamberlain ? the guy who once scored 100 points in a game, averaged 50 points and 25 rebounds for an entire season, who never fouled out of a pro game, won two NBA titles, and received four MVPs.

Other notable 13s include Steve Nash (two-time MVP), Moses Malone (he wore the number in the ABA, and was more famous for wearing number 2, but still), Doug Christie, Mark Jackson, Sarunas Marciulionis, Glenn Robinson, and Dave Twardzik (who won a title in Portland).  Fifteen players have worn 13 this season, which somehow seems wrong.

The draft history of the 13th pick is mixed at best ? mistakes, often big ones, get made regularly at number 13.  The best 13th picks jump out immediately.  The cream of the crop is Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone, both of whom are guaranteed Hall of Famers.

Bryant was a semi-excusable miss for many teams because he came straight from high school and there was not an established track record for prep-to-pro players.  Still, Lorenzen Wright, Kerry Kittles, Samaki Walker, Todd Fuller, and Vitaly Potapenko went ahead of Bryant.

Passing on Malone turned out to be a colossal mistake for NBA GMs.  The Mailman would play 19 seasons in the NBA, keeping Utah among the league?s elite teams for most of the years.  He played 54,852 minutes, scored 36,928 points, and grabbed 14,968 rebounds.  During his career, he collected 231.6 Win Shares, according to basketball-reference.com.

Who did NBA GMs take ahead of him?  Benoit Benjamin, Jon Koncak, Joe Klein, Ed Pinckney, Keith Lee and Kenny Green.  The Green pick (by my team, the Washington Bullets) was particularly egregious.  Green got cut in training camp, because (as the coach said), ?He can?t play.?

Here?s the sum total of other good picks at 13

1982 ? Sleepy Floyd (behind Bill Garnett, Trent Tucker and Quintin Dailey)
1991 ? Dale Davis (Doug Smith, Mark Macon)
1994 ? Jalen Rose (Sharone Wright, Eric Montross, Carlos Rogers, Khalid Reeves)
1995 ? Corliss Williamson (Shawn Respert, Ed O?Bannon, Gary Trent, Cherokee Parks)

That?s it.

Other selections yielded a decent player, but look bad in retrospect because of who went later.  For example, in 1984 Phoenix took Jay Humphries at 13.  Humphries played 11 seasons as a sometimes starter and acceptable reserve.  A solid pick until you realize that Phoenix passed on Michael Cage (14), John Stockton (16), Vern Fleming (18), and Jerome Kersey (second round pick).

Similarly, Danny Schayes played 18 seasons, mostly as a reserve center, after being picked 13th in 1981.  A decent rotation center is a good get at 13, until you consider that Utah passed on Larry Nance (20), and second round picks Eddie Johnson and Danny Ainge.

Other picks were mixed bags.  Less productive players went earlier, but more productive players went later.  In 1990, Loy Vaught went behind Bo Kimble, Rumeal Robinson and Alec Kessler, but ahead of Elden Campbell and Toni Kukoc.

In 1992, Bryant Stith went after Todd Day, Adam Keefe and Harold Miner, but before Latrell Sprewell.

In 1999, Corey Maggette was chosen behind Jonathan Bender, Trajan Langdon and someone named Alek Redojevic, but went ahead of Ron Artest and Andrei Kirilenko.

In 2001, Richard Jefferson was picked after Kwame Brown, Eddy Curry, Eddie Griffin, Desagana Diop, Rodney White, Kedrick Brown and Vladamir Radmanovic, but before Zach Randolph, Gerald Wallace, Tony Parker and Gilbert Arenas.

Some picks ? in fact, most of them ? were just plain bad.

1970 ? Jim McMillian ahead of Calvin Murphy, Tiny Archibald and Gar Heard

1972 ? Nick Weatherspoon ahead of Swen Nater, George McGinnis and Larry Kenon

1974 ? Len Elmore ahead of Maurice Lucas and George Gervin

1975 ? Bob Bigelow before Ricky Sobers, Kevin Grevey, Gus Williams, Lloyd (later World B.) Free, Dan Roundfield

1976 ? Mitch Kupchak before Alex English and Dennis Johnson

1977 ? Tate Armstrong before Tree Rollins, Brad Davis, Norm Nixon and Eddie Jordan

1978 ? Winford Boynes before Dave Corzine, John Long, Mo Cheeks, Michael Cooper and Gerald Henderson

1980 ? Rickey Brown before Larry Drew, Bill Hanzlik, Jeff Ruland, Rick Mahorn and Kurt Rambis

1983 ? Ennis Whatley before Clyde Drexler, John Paxson, Roy Hinson and Sedale Threatt

1987 ? Joe Wolf before Mark Jackson and Reggie Lewis

1988 ? Jeff Grayer before Dan Majerle and Rod Strickland

1989 ? Michael Smith before Tim Hardaway, Shawn Kemp, and Vlade Divac

1993 ? Terry Dehere before Sam Cassell, Nick Van Exel, Bryon Russell and Chris Whitney

1998 ? Keon Clark before Matt Harpring, Ricky Davis, Brian Skinner, Al Harrington, Rashard Lewis, Rafer Alston and Cuttino Mobley

2000 ? Courtney Alexander before Hedo Turkoglu, Quentin Richardson, Jamaal Magloire, Deshawn Stevenson, Eddie House, Eduardo Najera, and Michael Redd

2002 ? Marcus Haislip before Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer and Luis Scola

2003 ? Marcus Banks before Luke Ridnour, David West, Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa, Josh Howard, Jason Kapono, Luke Walton, Steve Blake, Zaza Pachulia, Keith Bogans, Matt Bonner, Mo Williams and Kyle Korver.

I think the lesson here is clear.  Upon being awarded the 13th pick in the draft, the smart NBA GM should immediately pick up his phone and trade it.