Trying to find common ground? Look to sports and the athletes who inspire

SportsTrying to find common ground? Look to sports and the athletes who inspire Olympic gold medalists Brandi Chastain and Elana Meyers Taylor joined NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for a conversation with NBC Sports' Mike Tirico about sports as a unifying force. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleMike Tirico sits down with the NBA’s Adam Silver, gold medalist Elana Meyers Taylor and soccer icon Brandi Chastain22:06Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 23, 2026, 7:05 PM EDTBy Tim StellohEven for the biggest names in sports, athletics and competition aren’t just about winning — they’re a chance to remind players and fans alike about the unifying power of sport.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Team USA gold medalists Brandi Chastain and Elana Meyers Taylor joined NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday to celebrate moments from their careers that have done just that. For Taylor, that message of unity was on full display during a parade in her honor in Texas earlier this year after the bobsledder won her first gold medal in Milan Cortina at age 41.“You saw people in a Harris T-shirt right next to people in a Trump T-shirt,” she said. “And it didn’t matter, because they were there to celebrate something that was bigger than all of us.”The Olympics, she added, brought a positive moment for many who might be struggling.“They were able to turn on their TV and see athletes from all walks of life doing their best to represent their country and win,” she said.Add NBC News to GoogleElana Meyers Taylor on winning gold in monobob at the Winter Games05:10Their conversation, which was moderated by NBC Sports' Mike Tirico, came at a Common Ground event, part of an NBC News franchise bringing together leaders with different perspectives to focus on solutions to pressing issues.Taylor said that her story wouldn’t have been possible without Chastain, who scored th...