LaDainian Tomlinson just laughed.
His good friend and former Chargers teammate Junior Seau had made some potentially objectionable comments about him, but when Tomlinson was asked if he took offense, he laughed.

“No, man,” he said. “You have to know Junior. He’s silly like that. When they told me about it, that’s what I did: I started laughing.”

Seau, the Chargers legend who will play against his former team for the first time Monday night when Miami visits Qualcomm Stadium, apparently was trying to be funny yesterday when Florida reporters asked him how to stop Tomlinson, who is black.

Wearing Tomlinson’s No. 21 Chargers jersey as a tribute to San Diego’s star running back, Seau replied:

“You just befriend him. Just kind of give him a couple of watermelons, load him up with some fried chicken and just say, you know, ‘Keep eating.’ ”

A short time later, Seau returned to tell reporters he had been joking, that he was just trying to say he wanted “to weigh him down so he doesn’t run crazy. I want to feed him all he wants.”

He denied there were any racial overtones to his comments.

“No, no, never that,” he said. “We used to eat fried chicken every Friday. I’m sorry you guys took it that way.

“It was an oversight on my part. I love the guy. I talk to him every week. I’m sorry it came out that way . . . Hopefully everyone can know who I am and what I stand for and know there just isn’t anything to look into with that.”

Tomlinson and at least two of his black teammates agreed Seau meant no harm.

“He would make jokes about anybody,” Tomlinson said. “That’s just how he is. He’ll make jokes about black guys, white guys, whoever.”

Said defensive end Raylee Johnson: “No big deal. He was having fun. We joke about everything (in the locker room). You can’t be sensitive around here. That’s when they’ll really turn on you.”

Added another of Seau’s former defensive teammates, Marcellus Wiley: “I’m sure it was harmless. Junior has that side of him that we know and unfortunately maybe America doesn’t know. He’s not the new Rush Limbaugh, I don’t think.

“Everyone teases Junior because his heritage is kind of unknown. He’s kind of a gumbo of ethnicities . . . I hope America and the media don’t go too far with it. How serious can you take that comment? Fuzzy Zoeller already wore that one out.

“Junior’s just a comedian. To me it’s just a joke . . . a stupid joke.”

Zoeller, of course, got in trouble after the 1997 Masters when he said of Tiger Woods, “Tell him not to serve fried chicken next year (at the champions’ dinner) . . . or collard greens, or whatever the hell they serve.”

Tomlinson confirmed many Chargers eat Popeye’s chicken every Friday.

“We did. We still do,” he said. “The funny thing is, I think Junior likes chicken and watermelon more than any of us.”

Tomlinson said he already spoke with Seau earlier this week, and if the two talked again, he would give his friend a hard time.

“Absolutely,” Tomlinson said. “I’m going to tell him to bring me some chicken and watermelon. In fact, I might tell him to serve some at Seau’s (The Restaurant).”

The Dolphins said Seau would not be disciplined for his comments, and coach Dave Wannstedt added, “For anyone to read anything into Junior’s comments would be doing him, and everything he stands for, as evidenced by his track record in community relations, a grave disservice.”

The Junior Seau Foundation is based here, and Seau will host a charity luncheon Tuesday honoring Chargers quarterback Drew Brees for his charity work. First, however, is Monday’s game, which Seau obviously is looking forward to playing.

“We’re going to have fun,” he said. “That stage is just going to be amazing. There’s going to be some mixed emotions, but at the same time, when the whistle blows it’s going to be time to go out there and find that lightning-bolt jersey and hopefully grab somebody with the ball . . . I think the drama of the game will end once the first hit happens.”

Asked what kind of reaction he expected from the fans, Seau said, “I’m probably going to be louder than the fans, because I am just going to be yelling and hollering and just really saying hi. It’s going to be fun. Whether they say, ‘Hi,’ or they say, ‘Beat it,’ I’m going to be there to embrace them.”