The Nebraska Broadcasters Association will induct John Knicely, Kevin Kugler, Steve Lundy and Ken Siemek into the NBA Hall of Fame on Tuesday, August 11th in Lincoln during the NBA Annual Convention. Established in 1972, the NBA Hall of Fame will grow to 127 members with these pending inductees.
From his start as a TV sportscaster through his 34 years as news anchor on Omaha’s WOWT TV, John Knicely set a long-term standard for credibility and trust in Nebraska’s most competitive television market before retiring in 2025. With a focus on stories that mattered to the community such as public safety and local government accountability, John’s calm delivery also reassured viewers in uncertain times such as tornadoes, terrorist attacks and the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic. No matter the day’s news, John shared his commitment to uplifting stories through his popular “John at Work” and “Knicely Done” features and earned numerous industry awards over his 50-year career. John took pride in teaching young reporters, anchors and producers to leave their opinions and egos at the door, setting future TV journalists up for success.
Kevin Kugler has the most extensive play by play resume of any Nebraskan, and he continues scaling new heights on a national level. He began by doing play by play on KAWL in York and hosted “Big Red Wrap Up” and other programs on Nebraska Educational Television. Kevin hosted “Unsportsmanlike Conduct” on Omaha’s KOZN for 12 years and is the former radio voice of the UNO Mavericks football and basketball teams. As a play by play announcer for FOX, Kevin has called over 100 NFL games since 2020 along with college basketball, Major League Baseball, the UFL and other events. On the Westwood One Sports network, Kevin calls the NFL, college basketball and other sports. Kevin has been the radio voice of the NCAA Men’s Final Four since 2008 and he has also been calling college basketball on the Big Ten Network since 2012.
In a career approaching 50 years and still counting, Steve Lundy has entertained listeners and served local communities on some of Nebraska’s most legendary radio stations. He got his on-air start in 1977 at KHUB in Fremont and over the next 23 years, Steve was heard in Omaha on WOW, KOIL, KEFM, KQKQ and KKAR. After four years on Lincoln’s KLIN, Steve joined Omaha’s KXKT in 2004 where he currently serves as co-host of “Steve & Gina in the Morning.” Steve has shaped the sound of radio in Nebraska on a variety of formats and has influenced decades of up-and-coming broadcasters. Beyond the dozens of industry honors Steve has earned, leading through community service on KXKT is his priority. When he is not on the air, Steve dedicates his time to reading to area grade school classrooms and helping at-risk elementary school students.
Over the course of his 44 years on KOLN (Lincoln) & KGIN TV (Grand Island), meteorologist Ken Siemek retired in 2025 after leading the stations’ weather department through massive technology changes, going from handwritten weather symbols and temperature readings to the latest in radar and satellite weather forecasting technology. Ken helped to keep central and eastern Nebraska residents safe through countless life-threatening weather events, including the October, 1997 snowstorm that left Lincoln without power for days, the 2004 Hallam tornado, the statewide floods of 2019 and the Arbor Day 2024 tornado outbreak. When the storms rolled in, Ken’s voice became the sound of safety; his warnings saved lives and his steadiness calmed fears. Ken also mentored fellow anchors and young reporters, teaching positivity and compassion to others.
