Bob Ryan Reacts to NBA's Top 20 Players List

On this episode of the Bob Ryan and Jeff Goodman NBA podcast Bob and Gary Tanguay take a look at USA Today's Top 20 Players list for the 2026-27 NBA season to discussing the top 100 players in the league, Bob and Gary break down the rankings and share their perspectives on today's NBA landscape. With different generations of basketball experience and plenty of opinions, this episode brings thoughtful analysis and debate to some of the biggest questions facing the league.

The conversation also dives into how basketball has changed over the years, including the impact of AAU culture on the game and what to expect from LeBron James heading into the upcoming season. 

Plus, Bob Ryan reflects on the NBA career of John Havlicek, offering perspective on one of the most memorable players in Boston Celtics history.

0:00 - Coming up

0:57 - Reacting to USA Today’s Top 20 Players list for 2026-27 Season

4:48 - 76ers have 4 players in Top 100

6:05 - Cade Cunningham vs Jayson Tatum

7:03 - Top 5 Players all Non-Americans

9:10 - Prizepicks

10:45 - How the game of basketball has changed with AAU culture

14:12 - Where Cooper Flag ranks

14:37 - Where NBA legends currently rank on list