Well, so much for that happy ending between Knicks legend Charles Oakley and team owner James Dolan.

With Oakley’s potential lifetime ban lifted through Dolan’s invitation to the former player to return to the Garden as his guest, Oakley said thanks but no thanks.

The former bruising power forward and fan favorite from Pat Riley’s powerful Knicks teams of the 1990s wants Dolan to apologize to him and the fans before he will return.

“Knicks fans and the city of New York have stood by Charles throughout his career as a Knick and continue to do so, and he is beyond grateful for that,” Oakley spokesman Akhtar Farzaie said. “The fans deserve, and are entitled to, an apology.”

Oakley first made his demand through ESPN Radio’s “Dan Le Batard Show” on Tuesday.

“Right now, no. I told him [Monday],” Oakley said. “If a swimming pool is full of water, it takes a while for it to drain.”

And Oakley wants a public apology.

“I want to have a press conference and I want him to apologize to me and the fans,” Oakley said. “They’ve had my back and they’ve felt the pain. I really appreciate the people all around who’ve had my back.”

The Garden declined comment. Indications are the Garden has no plans to issue Oakley a public apology.

On Monday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said, “Enough” and intervened in the squabble. He summoned the rivals to his Midtown office while using Hornets owner and mega-legend Michael Jordan, Oakley’s good friend, to intercede via phone.

“Both Mr. Oakley and Mr. Dolan were apologetic about the incident and subsequent comments, and their negative impact on the Knicks organization and the NBA,” Silver said in a statement Monday. “Mr. Dolan expressed his hope that Mr. Oakley would return to MSG as his guest in the near future.”

The next home game is Feb. 25 against Philadelphia. After the All-Star break, the Knicks play Feb. 23, the trade deadline, in Cleveland, Oakley’s hometown, and home to LeBron James — who, along with Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade, were the “Big Four” whose recent support meant so much to Oakley.

In a perfect world, Oakley would be Dolan’s guest, get a free ticket and sit next to him like Latrell Sprewell did Sunday. But Oakley has declined, awaiting that apology. Oakley said he apologized to Dolan on Monday for past remarks.

Oakley was dragged from his seat, forcibly ejected then arrested Wednesday. Oakley claimed he was targeted because of a long-standing feud with Dolan. Garden brass said Oakley was abusive, both physically and verbally, from the moment he arrived and produced statements from a dozen witnesses. Dolan on Friday confirmed Oakley was banned from the Garden in what he claimed was “not necessarily a lifetime ban.” Dolan, a recovering addict, also suggested Oakley has a drinking problem and anger issues.

“That hurt more than the 10 guys who jumped on me,” Oakley said Tuesday, referring to the security guards.

NBA types past and present, politicians and fans sprung to Oakley’s defense. Brooklyn Borough president Eric Adams on Sunday, with other African-American leaders, called for an end to Oakley’s Garden ban. Adams, a former NYPD captain, also asked the assault and trespass misdemeanor charges against Oakley be dropped. He referred to Oakley’s treatment as “Eric Garner without the chokehold.”

At Knicks practice Tuesday, most thought the commissioner’s meeting resolved the matter.

“The only way something can get resolved is if those two men sit down and have a man-to-man conversation,” Anthony said. “We would love to see Oakley back in the building. But I’m glad to see the two men sat down and had that conversation.

“As much as the Oakley situation didn’t affect us as players, we were part of that. We’re under the same umbrella. It’s our home court. It’s in Madison Square Garden, and we’re a part of that. We can’t escape that, we can’t run from that.”

Coach Jeff Hornacek called the incident “a minor distraction, not a big deal for our guys” who “handled it pretty well, but there is always talk about it. Oak was a great player for the Knicks, and hopefully someday he comes back.”

— Additional reporting by Marc Berman