Shaquille O'Neal has a stern message to those who don't think he can mesh with the Phoenix Suns.

"I'm very upset," he said Thursday at a news conference to introduce him as the newest member of the Suns. "You just don't really want to get me upset. When I'm upset, I'm known to do certain things — like win championships."

Shaquille O'Neal walks into his first news conference as a member of the Phoenix Suns.
(Ross D. Franklin/ Associated Press)

One day after officially passing a physical to complete a trade that sent forward Shawn Marion and point guard Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat, O'Neal said he's looking forward to helping Suns win an NBA title.

"This team has always been there in the Western Conference," he said. "They just couldn't quite get over the hump. I think with my experience and my on the court-off the court leadership, I can help them get over the hump."

O'Neal has been slowed by a hip injury this season, looking nothing like the player once considered the game's most dominant big man.

The hulking 35-year-old veteran spent the past 3½ years with the Miami Heat, the worst team in the NBA this season.

But the 14-time all-star hasn't played since aggravating a hip injury in a 96-85 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Boxing Day.

O'Neal originally bruised his left hip on Dec. 22, when he dove for a loose ball and smacked into the scorer's table in a 104-102 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Asked how he felt when he first heard of the possibility that the Heat could trade him to Phoenix, O'Neal said, "I wanted it to happen because I was going to be coming to a fabulous team with a lot of unselfish players, a lot of great players."

O'Neal, who helped the Heat to a championship in 2006, said his critics are "going to be very surprised" about his role in the Suns' running game orchestrated by Victoria native Steve Nash.

"The last couple of years I was in a system that we really didn't run, so you automatically think I can't run," he said. "But I love to run, especially if I'm playing with a great guy like Steve Nash. I look forward to making people eat their words, I really do."

Nash was "shocked" when he learned of the trade.

"If you look at what happened the last 24 hours it was incredible," he said. "You go through a whole bunch of emotions. It was very unexpected, but at the same time, to get a chance to play with Shaquille O'Neal is pretty exciting."

Phoenix brought in O'Neal to compete in the paint with Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers' tandem of Andrew Bynum and Pao Gasol.

The seven-foot-one, 325-pound behemoth is averaging 14.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.4 assists and 28.2 minutes in 32 starts this season, his 16th in the NBA.

With files from the Associated Press