JVG: Put Oak jersey in rafters

OKLAHOMA CITY — Jeff Van Gundy believes Charles Oakley should not only go back to the Garden, but also have his number retired.

“I think Charles’ number should be in the rafters,” Van Gundy told the Daily News Wednesday. “And I’m hopeful, that’s what happens.”

Van Gundy spent nine years with Oakley as an assistant and head coach for the Knicks, annually competing in playoff battles and reaching the 1994 Finals. He is happy that his former player and James Dolan are at least speaking and trying to work towards a resolution after Oakley was dragged out of the Garden and arrested following an altercation with security.

Dolan lifted the Garden ban on Oakley after the two met this week. Still, Oakley said he won’t return unless Dolan apologizes.

“That’s one thing I hope gets resolved. Because Charles deserves his day,” Van Gundy said. “If you’re going to honor Al Harrington, Quentin Richardson, then Charles Oakley — because you can forget. It’s easy for a fan to romanticize it. But unless you saw it, and you saw it every day in practice, never sat out practice, never took a day off, never asked for a rep out. Never went less than all out.

“And when you’re coaching — and we had him and Ewing, and like Derek Harper — like man, you’re blessed. And it’s not easy to be that consistent day-in and day-out… He deserves his day. Not because of this, but because of what he did. Bitterness and hard feelings — holding on to that does nobody no good.”

Van Gundy was happy to see another one of his former players — Latrell Sprewell — reconcile with Dolan, even though the motive seemed questionable.

“Sprewell, on 12 o’clock start in a regular season game, ehhh, that might not be the best,” Van Gundy joked. “You might not be getting his absolute best on that one. But you talk about playoffs and bringing it against the best competition, he brought it.”