Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and head coach Ryan Saunders have both given powerful statements in the wake of the tragic George Floyd killing.

Taylor told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that there needs to be an improvement in how police handle and interact with people of color, while also stating it should extend beyond the police force:

“I would just say when we have an incident like that, it’s just a shame,” Taylor said. “First of all, we lose a life and that in itself is such a terrible tragedy. I feel for the family and the friends and the people who knew him personally. And then for all of us who didn’t know him personally, it’s still a tragedy that we have such an unfortunate incident happen.

“I don’t think it’s just law enforcement that we need to worry about. That’s one part of it. They’re in a position of power. But I just think in general, for our whole community, we have to have a better understanding of others’ needs, their concerns, their culture. We need to do a better job.”

Meanwhile, Saunders told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN that he wants to use his “position of leadership” as a white male to become more educated about what people of color deal with on a consistent basis.

Ryan is the son of the late Flip Saunders. The Saunders family grew up in Minnesota, so this whole situation has been on the mind of the Timberwolves' coach:

“I am a white male in a position of leadership, and I don't take lightly the fact that I have not experienced some of these things that our individual guys have had to experience,” Saunders said. “So I wanted to make sure we were listeners, that we could become more educated as people completely inexperienced in never getting the benefit of the doubt.”

Pretty much every superstar player in the NBA has reacted to the killing of George Floyd. Timberwolves shooting guard Malik Beasley told Wojnarowski, “There were three other cops. Why weren't they helping him?”

Derek Chauvin was the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck. While he has since been fired, there’s a significant outcry for him to be arrested.

Taylor, who owns both the Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA, says he will “work tirelessly to use our voices to influence change, encourage healing and promote thoughtful action as we move forward.”