The following is a transcript of Booker T addressing the Billy Graham situation on the Monday evening episode of “The Hall of Fame with Booker T and Brad Gilmore” on ESPN 97.5 in Houston, TX and on HallofFamePodcast.com:

Superstar Billy Graham pretty much demanded an apology from me as far as what I said on this show about what he said about Kofi Kingston. That Kofi should do [steroids] and what not. So let’s talk about it.

Do I owe Superstar Billy Graham an apology? I say yeah. I do owe Billy Graham an apology. For bringing up his illness and whatnot. And I apologize for it. But Billy Graham he has some apologizing he needs to do as well. This whole steroid thing. Me not knowing whats on his record at the Mayo Clinic and whatnot…I don’t know what’s on his record. The allegations, just like he said, I’m sure this guy right here used steroids and nobody cared. How does he [Graham] know what these guys are doing with their bodies?

Did he actually talk to their doctors and they told him? I think it goes both ways. Last guy I knew that went out there and talked about this guy doing this and this guy doing that was Jose Canseco. That’s these guys’ business as far as if they’re doing something. That’s something that they gotta deal with. With their maker at the end of the day. That has nothing to do with anybody. And he actually said that I probably used it as well. If I did that’s my business and that’s something that I should keep to myself or not try to force it on anyone else.

Maybe he [Graham] doesn’t look at steroids like a drug. Maybe he doesn’t think that it contributes to a lot of guys that we lost along the way. I think it does. Maybe that’s just me. I think it enlarges the heart. Harden the arteries. I think a lot of things happen because of steroid use. You go back to when Germans used it way back in the day on women. A lot of those women are men today. [laughs]

If I did something I’m not gonna say, ‘Hey man, this is what you should do’. Especially if it’s something not good for you, first and foremost. Or even if it is something that’s good for you, it’s not my place to push it on you.

Say for instance. I got a buddy in Los Angeles, California. I used to love and go down and hang out with him all the time. He has a dispensary right on Venice Beach. And we had this conversation. He had a spot overlooking muscle beach. He used to have the receptionist, the women that work there, standing outside of the business. And he would have them in some tight shorts or some real high skirts. And with a little cross on their shirts to make it look like they were medics or a nurse. They would be out there, ‘Come on in. Get your license. The doctor is in right now. Whatever you want you can get it right here today.’

And I’m like, ‘Wow, this is a little bit over the top.’ People could be here on vacation with their kids and you telling me I can come inside and get marijuana and whatever they want. I said, ‘Bro, what is your title?’ He said, ‘I’m a doctor’. Do you really think the surgeon general appreciates the doctor having these nurses outside telling the patrons they can come in. I’ve been to the doctor many times and I’ve never seen a nurse outside saying, ‘Come get your Vicodin. Come get your hydrocodone.’

I’ve never seen that before. Do you really think they would appreciate you doing that. Personally…me as a parent, I don’t appreciate you doing that. Even though I don’t disapprove of what you’re selling. It’s not your job to do that. Because you don’t have the right to do that. And that was my point more than anything.

I love Superstar Billy Graham. I was one of those guys…he was a hero of mine when I grew up. When he came to town he had to fight Jose Lothario. I couldn’t wait to see Superstar Billy Graham cower, and then finally a thumb to the eye. Get the 1, 2, 3. Pack up and leave Texas and be gone. And we can’t wait to see him till next time.

I can only imagine waking up the night after I had won the world championship and my hero said, ‘This is what he needs to do.’ Because this is what he is right now. That probably would have been a huge let down for me. I say we as the founders. We as the carpenters. Who have laid the foundation for this business. I think it’s our job and our duty to build these young guys up as much as we possibly can. And I’m never gonna be one of these old guys that’s living in the past. And living off of what I did. I’m never gonna be one of those guys. It’s all about these young guys that are coming up right now that’s out there putting the work in.

That’s gotta do all of these tours back to back to back. I see it on a regular basis. And I’ve watched Kofi do it for 11 years. And if he ain’t gonna say anything…I understand. Because he’s got respect and he’s a guy that’s on the roster. But I feel like it’s my duty to say something about something like this. Because I have been in that position once upon a time wondering what the people are gonna think when I finally and hopefully win the world championship. Hopefully they’ll be proud. Hopefully they’ll say, ‘Big ups, you deserve it.’ Hopefully I won’t have to wake up the next day reading some clips of people saying this. I’m so glad I did not have social media when I did win the world championship. Because I probably would have heard it too.

But much love to Superstar Billy Graham. I love you man. But I just want you to know that there is no place in this business for that kind of talk in 2019. Thank you very much.