NBA legend LeBron James thrilled fans as he interacted with young basketball players on the sidelines of the E1 Series Fan Experience in Luanda, Angola on Sunday.
James is in Angola with his Team AlUla in the latest stop on the UIM E1 World Championship, the first time the powerboat series has raced in Southern Africa.
The 41-year-old is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer having passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 2023 and winner of four championship rings with Miami Heat (2012, 2013), the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016) and Los Angeles Lakers (2020).
James recently signed with the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2026/27 NBA season, his 24th campaign in the league.
He interacted with the young players and watched as they were put through their paces on the court.
"It is a big honour to have the King in Angola, the first time in Africa,” Angolan basketball legend Carlos Morais told SuperSport.com. “To eat our food and breathe our air, is truly an honour to have him here.
"It means the world to these kids. It is one thing to see someone we love and respect on the TV, but it is different when you see them in person. It is a great opportunity for them to learn a few things about his path.”
Morais says basketball is on the up in Angola, who are African champions, but there is more work to be done.
"A lot more people are getting interested in playing basketball in Angola. Teams are coming up. But I think we could be further along, that is my personal view,” he said.
Morais says having the E1 Series in Angola is also a boost for local sport and the global view of the country.
"It is great for tourism and sport,” he said. “Angolans don't know much about this sport, but it is an opportunity for us to learn. Maybe one day we will have a team, who knows?”
FIRST E1 RACE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
E1 is in its third season and continues to grow in stature as it stages its first race in Southern Africa and its second on the continent following Lagos in 2025.
It has several celebrity owners, including American Football legend Tom Brady, tennis great Rafael Nadal, Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, former Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba and even Hollywood star Will Smith.
Team Brady have won the championship in the first two years of competition in 2024 and 2025, and lead the table again this season with pilots Emma Kimiläinen and Sam Coleman in the cockpit.
The E1 Series is an all-electric powerboat championship in which teams race futuristic RaceBird boats on short, tight courses laid out close to shore. Each team has two pilots, one male and one female, who share driving duties across the weekend.
The boats are designed for speed, agility and close racing, with qualifying used to set the order before a series of heats and knockout races determine who advances to the final.