2013 MacBook Pro Thunderbolt ports

Most likely your USB-C drive is just a USB3 drive. Verify the protocol(s) used by the USB-C drive and/or provide the exact make & model of the drive and include a product link if possible.

If the external USB-C device supports the USB protocol, then a cable or adapter such as this one should work:

https://www.tripplite.com/usb-type-c-male-to-usb-type-a-male-cable-10-gbps-usb-if-certified-3-foot~u428c03g2

As for a device utilizing the Thunderbolt protocol, you can try using the Apple USB-C to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter which will also require a Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt cable to attach to an older Mac's Thunderbolt port. I'll try to test this option out tomorrow to be sure it works.

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMEL2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-to-thunderbolt-2-adapter

IGNORE the ThunderBolt-2 ports on your Mac and

connect your USB-3 drive to your USB-A ports with a USB-A <-> USB-C adapter/cable

@Grant is correct and it is exactly what I said in my first post to you. The first link I supplied will work if you don't have the original manufacturer's cable.

The Samsung T5 SSD product page clearly mentions the T5 SSD only supports the USB protocol and even includes a footnote to confirm it (added bold emphasis to highlight it). There is no mention of the Thunderbolt protocol (should have a lightning bolt if the port supported it).

from: https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/product/portable/t5/

The included USB Type-C™ to C cable and USB Type-C to A cable give you seamless connectivity without the hassle of purchasing additional adapters.**

** T5 is compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0.

It is always a good idea to read the product page, technical specifications, and the user guide to confirm exactly what protocols a device supports. I know it can be confusing since one connector is able to use multiple incompatible protocols. Plus you must even be careful with the USB-C to USB-C cables as not all of them are made equal even though they look identical (e.g. the laptop's charging cable and the USB-C to USB-C cable provided by Samsung for the T5 SSD).

BigSkyBama wrote:

What is the best use for the two Thunderbolt ports? Also, there is a card slot - best use for it also?

Apple used to make Displays with a mini Display Port connector and later actual Thunderbolt displays. If you want to use a standard non-Apple external display you can get a mini Display Port to VGA, DVI, or HDMI adapter. Plus some people use external Thunderbolt RAID enclosures in order to store large amounts of data such as video and audio files when performing video or audio/music editing since a Thunderbolt connection is fast and more reliable than USB at the time. Usually Thunderbolt storage devices are quite expensive.

Today for the most part USB3 is more than sufficient for external storage since it is quite fast especially if you use drives and hubs utilizing UASP protocol and later versions of USB3 such as 3.1 Gen1/Gen2, or 3.2. Plus very few non-Apple computers use Thunderbolt due to price & licensing expenses so it makes more sense to use the most portable storage so a drive will also work with non-Apple systems. If you are doing professional work which requires fast and reliable connection, then Thunderbolt is probably a better option, but for most users USB3 is fine.