Driver Claims Lebron James Will Put Powerboat Racing On The Map: ‘He’s Such An Icon'

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If you're not currently a fan of powerboat racing, that's about to change — and it's all because of Lebron James. At least, that's according to Rusty Wyatt, one of the drivers for James' new E1 Series powerboat racing team. 

The NBA superstar announced his investment in the water sport last month, joining other celebrities like Tom Brady, DJ Steve Aoki, Will Smith and F1 driver Sergio Perez, who all have teams competing in the E1 all-electric powerboat racing series for the 2025 season.

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"As a lifelong fan of sports and competition, the opportunity to own an E1 team that represents such a high level of innovation in sports is incredibly exciting," James said in a statement. "E1 is a new type of global competition that's revolutionizing water racing and I'm proud to be at the forefront of its expansion."

In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Wyatt said he believes the involvement of influential figures like Lebron will bring more eyeballs to the racing series, which just kicked off its second season.

"Anything LeBron does, people are going to follow. He's such an icon to so many different people," Wyatt said. "It's, hopefully, going to be very good results to follow. So it'll be a little easier to cheer for the Lebron team if we're winning."

Each of the nine teams in the E1 series has two pilots. Wyatt is joined by former FIA European Rally Championship Ladies' Trophy winner Catie Munnings on Lebron's Team AlUla. 

"It's a pleasure to be with the Lebron crew," Wyatt said. "It's an amazing team they put together for this year. And you know, I'm just really looking forward to seeing what we can do with it."

With two races down in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Doha, Qatar, Team AlUla sits near the bottom at No. 8 in the standings. Team Rafa — owned by tennis legend Rafael Nadal — leads the pack.

But there are still five races left to go in the 2025 season, with the last one scheduled for Nov. 8 in Miami.

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Amber is a Midwestern transplant living in Murfreesboro, TN. She spends most of her time taking pictures of her dog, explaining why real-life situations are exactly like "this one time on South Park," and being disappointed by the Tennessee Volunteers.