LeBron James and Will Smith visited the Presidential Palace in Luanda to meet with president João Lourenço on Sunday, one day after the city hosted its inaugural E1 Luanda Grand Prix powerboat race.
James and Smith were in attendance for the first-ever UIM E1 Series event in South Africa as owners of their respective teams. Team AlUla is championed by LeBron, while Smith is backing the Westbrook Racing team. E1 is a an all-electric international powerboat racing series.
The trip, according to Essentially Sports, was James’ first to Africa. His presence did not go unnoticed by those from the E1 Series.
"It's not a short trip, but he is here because he believes in what we're doing," E1 chief executive Jamie Copas said, per BBC Sport. "You can't underestimate the value of it. They come with huge followings."
Prior to the event, James, along with a group that included his business partner Maverick Carter, visited the National Museum of Slavery in Angola.
"It’s just great to be here. Obviously, it’s a lot of history here," he told reporters outside the museum. "A lot of history that not only is here in the country, but also crosses over to America."
Smith shared a photo of himself with James, with the caption, “Philly in the building,” a nod to his own hometown and to LeBron’s new team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
