How to live to be 99 or almost die (a lot) trying

Lakers 'Miracle' landing pilot passes. World War II veteran saved the team that would become one of sports' leading franchises

The headline to this column is just the sort of thing Harold Gifford would have said.

He was 99 going on 35 — right up until his death Saturday Jan. 7. He was the most ageless person I’ve encountered in a 30-year career.

We are all, of course, mortal, and as much as anyone I have covered, Harold put that to the test. I sometimes figured he just wouldn’t d…