NEW YORK (AP) Danny Whelan, the longtime trainer for the New York Knicks and the man who gave Walt Frazier the nickname ``Clyde,'' died after a long illness. He was 84.

Whelan, who died Friday, was the Knicks' trainer from 1967-78 _ an 11-year tenure that included the franchise's only two NBA championships. He also was the trainer for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960 when they won the World Series.

``He'll be missed. He was an integral part of our two championship teams here,'' said Knicks executive Willis Reed, whose dramatic return from an injured hip in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals helped spur the Knicks to the title.

``When I was trying to get ready for that game, he and I pretty much spent the whole day together. He was giving me whirlpool and ice and telling me all sorts of stories about baseball and stuff,'' Reed recalled Sunday. ``I knew he was going to get me ready.''

Whelan always wore an orange Knicks warmup jersey while sitting at the end of the bench, a wardrobe choice that became his trademark.

Reed recalled how the cigar-chomping, wisecracking Whelan handled several duties for the team, from booking airline reservations and hotels to being responsible for the luggage and equipment and treating injuries.

``One of the most important persons in the whole organization is the trainer,'' Reed said. ``There are things you tell a trainer that you never tell anybody else.''

Whelan gave Frazier, a future Hall of Fame guard, his nickname during his rookie season with the Knicks over his flamboyant wardrobe which seemed to come from the movie `Bonnie & Clyde.''

Whelan grew up in San Francisco and spent two years in the Navy during World War II. He died Friday, one day shy of his 85th birthday. A funeral will be held Friday at Mary Manning Nursing Home in New York.