LeBron James and Will Smith received a special invitation from Angolan President João Lourenço following their visit to South Africa for the E1 World Championship’s first Grand Prix powerboat race.
The NBA All-Star and the legendary actor both have ownership stakes in teams competing in the championship. James is an investor in Team AlUla, while Smit is part of the ownership group of Westbrook Racing.
A day after the E1 World Championship, James and Smith met with President Lourenço in Angola. Details about what was discussed during the meeting have not been released.
E1 CEO Jamie Copas spoke about the significance of having James and Smith attend the championship, highlighting the reach they bring to the sport.
“It’s not a short trip, but he is here because he believes in what we’re doing. You can’t underestimated the value of it. They come with huge followings.”
Before the big event, LeBron and his entourage visited Angola’s National Museum of Slavery, where he reflected on the importance of learning about the country’s history.
“It’s just great to be here. Obviously, it’s a lot of history here. A lot of history that not only is here in the country, but also crosses over to America.”
The visit gave LeBron and Will an opportunity to connect with Angola’s history while enjoying some powerboat racing.