Robert P. Ryan is an American sportswriter, formerly with The Boston Globe. He has been described as "the quintessential American sportswriter" and a basketball guru and is well known for his coverage of the sport including his famous stories covering the Boston Celtics in the 1970s. After graduating from Boston College, Ryan started as a sports intern for the Globe on the same day as Peter Gammons, and later worked with other notable Globe sportswriters Will McDonough and Leigh Montville. In early 2012, Ryan announced his retirement from sports writing after 44 years, effective at the conclusion of the 2012 Summer Olympics. His final column in the Globe was published on August 12, 2012.

Awards:

• National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association National Sportswriter of the Year four times (2000, 2007, 2008, 2009).

• College Basketball Writers and New England Basketball Halls of Fame.

• 1996 Curt Gowdy Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame

• 2000 Associated Press "National Sportswriter of the Year"

• 2006 Dick Schaap Award for Outstanding Journalism

• 2015 PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sports Writing