Athlete's Remembering Humble Roots

It was refreshing to read Michelle Singletary's column in the Washington Post today.

Several athletes are teaming up with major retailers to produce more reasonably priced branded shoes and clothing--Kevin Durant, of the Seattle SuperSonics, with Nike's sneakers, for example. Others include Sephon Marbury, of the New York Knicks, and Ben Wallace, of the Chicago Bulls, who are teaming up with retailer Steve & Barry's, as is the tennis star Venus Williams.

With luck, these new brands will be affordable for working families and may go a long way to help reduce the enormous and cruel peer pressure adolescents experience.

This is smart marketing--as well as the right thing to do--and looks like a win-win for all.