O'Neal

The 7-foot-1, 340-pound Lakers center is scheduled to return Tuesday against Denver after serving a three-game suspension for the incident.

The New York Times reported on its Web site Saturday night that O'Neal said everyone on or near the court in Chicago last Saturday night understood the consequences if the rough play continued.

"People were trying to make this out to be a sneak attack because his back was turned, but I told everybody what was going to happen," O'Neal told The Times in a telephone interview on Thursday. "I gave everybody more than three warnings during that game. I told the referees. I told the players. At one point, I said, `If he fouls me like that again, everybody be ready to move.'"

O'Neal says he did not endorse his actions, which resulted in a three-game suspension and $15,000 fine but felt he needed to take a stand.

"The first time he fouled me like that, I followed through and hit him in the head to send a message," he said. "I was warning him. I told him, `Listen, foul me like that again, buddy, and be ready to do something.' He knew it was coming."

O'Neal also said that although he wanted badly to physically confront Miller, he did not put his full force into the punch.

"Of course I pulled my punch," O'Neal said. "If I made contact, I don't even want to think what would have happened." O'Neal backed off the notion that he would now become a vigilante on the floor and take retribution into his own hands. "I don't carry things from game to game," he said. "It's over. I'm moving on."

Players continuing to maliciously foul him, he said, will not force him to retire early.

But, he added, "The league won't stop me from saying something if I want to say something. No amount of fine will keep me quiet if I feel something needs to be said.