LeBron James, Will Smith meet Angola president on E1 raceboat trip
LeBron James and Will Smith met Angolan President João Lourenço at the presidential palace in Luanda during a visit tied to electric boat racing.
The trip's official purpose was a round of the E1 World Championship, an electric raceboat series built around teams backed by celebrities. Both James and Smith have bought into the series as team owners, according to The Guardian.
Lourenço used the meeting to talk about promoting Angola abroad. Tourism, cinema and basketball were the three areas named. James also visited the National Museum of Slavery while in the country.
It was not Smith's first trip. He visited Angola in March 2026 around the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Ahead of that visit, Lourenço signed legislation giving the Angolan government broad powers to monitor and suspend civil society organizations over claimed "security threats."
The Angola stop landed days after James teased a new business move in gambling-adjacent entertainment. On Sept. 5, he posted about an upcoming partnership with Polymarket, a prediction market platform where users trade on the outcomes of future events, from elections to sports. CNBC reported the teaser on the same day.
That deal is part of why the visit drew wider notice. A commentary published Sept. 17 argues James has grown quieter after years of speaking out on social issues, and says he has said little about politics during Donald Trump's second term.
James built much of that earlier reputation before and during his second stint in Cleveland and his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. He spoke on voting rights, racial justice and police violence, and opened the I Promise School in Akron.
His most debated political moment came in 2019. Then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted in support of antigovernment protesters in Hong Kong, touching off a rift between the NBA and China. James said Morey was misinformed and had not considered the potential harm, adding that free speech can carry negative consequences. The comments angered protesters in Hong Kong, some of whom trampled and burned James jerseys, according to reports at the time, including TIME and PBS.
What makes this stand out for fans is the mix. A short palace visit covers sport, business and diplomacy in one stop. Raceboats explain the itinerary. The museum visit and the promotion talk explain the messaging. The Polymarket teaser explains the timing of the chatter back home.
