LeBron James and Will Smith the stars as Angola aims to cash in on E1 powerboat racing

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Hollywood actor Will Smith and NBA star LeBron James travelled to Luanda for the inaugural E1 race in the Angolan capital

It 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.

The 41-year-old was among the A-listers in Luanda as the E1 World Championship rolled into southern Africa for the first time at the weekend, having made its debut on the continent last year in Lagos, Nigeria.

"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.

"You can't underestimate the value of it. They [the celebrity owners] come with huge followings."