Ron Artest and Jerry Buss get a chance to talk at practice

This could happen only to the Lakers.

Ron Artest, the player who insisted he didn’t want to be traded a day earlier, shook hands and smiled during a private conversation with team owner Jerry Buss on Thursday morning at the Lakers’ training facility.

It was surreal, it was humorous, it was so very Lakers.

“We always chill. Nothing special,” Artest said, adding as an afterthought, “We’ve had lunch before.”

Buss stopped by the team’s shoot-around a few hours before their game Thursday against San Antonio.

He gave a very brief interview afterward, but it was apparent he wasn’t fazed by Artest’s alleged desire to be traded, or Andrew Bynum’s continual knee issues, or the sink-or-swim sensation his team had shown in a volatile season to date.

“I’m kind of used to up and down,” Buss said. “We’ve had a lot of up-and-down seasons that turned out pretty up ... and a few that have turned down. I’m not surprised or anything. Nothing’s different.”

Is he still hopeful the Lakers can pull off a three-peat?

“I’m always hopeful,” Buss said. “Even when we didn’t make the playoffs, I thought we’d win the championship.”

And with that, he walked across the practice court to talk to one of his rookies, Devin Ebanks. The interview was done.

Artest wasn’t the only player to approach Buss and extend a right hand Tuesday morning. Lamar Odom spent the most time with Buss, seeming genuinely pleased to see the owner on a day that didn’t turn out well for Odom, who was not selected to the All-Star team despite his high hopes.

It was Artest and Buss, however, that drew the most fascination from onlookers.

“I respect his judgment,” Artest said, declining to deliver details of their conversation. “He’s a winning owner. If he had to come out and say something good or bad, either way you get to work.”

Artest had 13 points in the Lakers’ 89-88 loss against the Spurs.

Before the game, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said Artest needed to get more aggressive on offense.

“I just think he needs to get involved,” Jackson said. “I don’t think he likes standing out in the corner and waiting for Kobe [Bryant] on a back-end double-team to throw him the ball in the corner for an open jump shot. That’s not really what Ron’s idea of playing ball is. And it’s not our idea either as far as running the offense. Sometimes it’s the easiest form of an offense that we have.”

Artest said his bruised right thigh was feeling better. He was kneed there by Shaquille O’Neal early in last Sunday’s game against Boston.

“If [Manu] Ginobili scores 50, there’s no excuses,” Artest said before matching up against his assignment most of the game.

Ginobili, the Spurs shooting guard who was selected to the All-Star team earlier in the day, had 14 points Thursday.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

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