LeBron the star as Angola aims to cash in on E1 racing

LeBron the star as Angola aims to cash in on E1 racing. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Hollywood actor Will Smith and NBA star LeBron James travelled to Luanda for the inaugural E1 race in the Angolan capitalByMark LomasSports writer in Luanda, AngolaPublished14 September 2026It is difficult to imagine an electric powerboat racing series capturing the attention of an Angolan audience for whom football and basketball is king, but the presence of NBA royalty LeBron James certainly helped.

What happened

Angola hopes hosting the E1 Series will boost tourism after NBA star LeBron James attends the inaugural powerboat race in the capital Luanda. Journalist Omar Prata, covering the race for the Jornal de Angola, admitted that E1 was not on his radar until Hollywood star Smith, whose Westbrook Racing team is sponsored by Visit Angola, announced in March that a deal had been agreed to race in Luanda for the next three years. "It's not a short trip, but he [LeBron] is here because he believes in what we're doing," E1 chief executive Jamie Copas told BBC Sport Africa in the Angolan capital.

"Angola's men are reigning African basketball champions, securing a record-extending 12th continental title on home soil last year, and unsurprisingly spectators of the E1 racing at the Clube Naval de Luanda clamoured for a glimpse of one of basketball's biggest icons. "Boosting Angola long-termImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Luanda was the fifth stop on the E1 calendar this year after races in Jeddah, Lake Como, Dubrovnik and MonacoThe star power of E1's owners is helping to bring eyeballs to what is a traditionally niche sport where powerboat pilots skim and bounce around tight courses at speeds close to 100kmph.

It will take one of her miraculous interventions if electric powerboat racing is to usurp football or basketball in Angolan affections, but Copas hopes E1 can leave a different legacy. Philadelphia 76ers1dNBA InsidersNBA offseason buzz: Latest on trades, news and intel15hESPNWindhorst: What to expect at next week's NBA owners' meetingsAtlanta Hawks4dBrian WindhorstSuspensions, picks revoked and a $30 million fine: Making sense of the NBA's staggering Clippers punishmentLA Clippers5dNBA InsidersplayWhy Malika Andrews is excited for LeBron's first games with 76ers (1:49)Dean OliverMultiple AuthorsSep 14, 2026, 07:00 AM ETEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWhen the Philadelphia 76ers traded for Jaylen Brown this offseason, questions swirled about how the shots will be distributed among the forward and incumbent stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The wider picture

"James, like fellow sport stars Rafa Nadal, Tom Brady, Didier Drogba and Virat Kohli and actor Will Smith, is an E1 team owner after buying into the series. Similar to Formula E on land, it aims to blend sport with strong messaging around sustainability and green technology. James said Angola had made his first trip to the country "super welcoming" after visiting the National Museum of Slavery. "And of course it means a lot to have LeBron James here.

Angolans have seen him on television, they try to emulate him on the street courts, they have his posters. "Today it is foreigners doing this; tomorrow, perhaps we could have an Angolan team. "The aspiration is that hosting an E1 race will help Angola boost visitor numbers, with minister for tourism Marcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel saying enhanced foreign awareness of the country is the "first step" in a long-term plan. "Our ambition is not simply to make Angola famous," Daniel told the BBC.

What has been reported

"It is to make Angola more desirable to visit, invest in and do business in. "Angola has not been afraid to speculate to accumulate in the past, bringing Lionel Messi's Argentina side to Luanda for a football friendly last November to celebrate 50 years of the nation's independence. "Sustainability challengesImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, E1 chief executive James Copas (left) says the series is mindful of its carbon footprintBeyond the spectacle and waterfront backdrops, E1 aims to transcend motorsport.

Sustainability has been one cornerstone, and marine conservation efforts around the race in Angola included mangrove restoration. Putting sustainability front and centre inevitably invites scrutiny – particularly when races have taken place in Saudi Arabia, the United States, Nigeria and now Angola, all major oil-producing nations. On the water, however, there was no fairytale result as Westbrook Racing's hopes of victory were ended by a mechanical fault, with Team Brady taking the inaugural Luanda title.

Smith could have used the help of Kianda, the mermaid-like Angolan water spirit traditionally regarded as a protector of fishermen. "I think it's for us to help tell Angola stories, and for Angola to help tell ours.

What happens next

Skip to main content Skip to navigation The 76ers' four 'super-users' have a math problem to solvePhiladelphia 76ers1dDean Oliver76ers offseason recap and early season preview: Is Philly a contender with LeBron? Three weeks later, they landed LeBron James in free agency — and those question marks gained exclamation points. Despite four superstar scorers on the roster, oddsmakers didn't instantly place Philadelphia atop the Eastern Conference standings. Using 30 previous NBA teams with a collection of high-usage stars, let's examine where this 76ers squad would land.

Top 30 'good' teams, ranked by star usageThe following teams — all of which were expected to win at least 47 games that season — are ranked by the aggregate career usage rates of their top-five players. For every team on this list, stars needed to make major sacrifices. The 76ers' super-users — and the LeBron factorPhiladelphia's top five — James, Maxey, Brown, Embiid and second-year guard VJ Edgecombe — combine for only a 134% career usage rate, tied with two previous LeBron teams — the 2010-11 Miami Heat, who lost in the Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, and the 2012-13 squad that edged the San Antonio Spurs.

The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, espn.com, theguardian.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.