He’s 66 and Still Going Baseline

No one would ever confuse Al Beier with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but the retired Lockheed engineer and the Laker center do have something in common--both are basketball players who have withstood the athletic test of time.

While Abdul-Jabbar has shown that he can still play in the National Basketball Assn. at the age of 40, Beier has proven that he can still compete against men sometimes 40 years younger at the Olive Park gym in Burbank.

Beier, 66, believes it’s easier than most people believe to set a pick on Father Time.

“When I see a man my age with a big fat belly, I think he’s foolish,” said Beier, who plays three days a week. “Barring physical infirmities, anyone my age should be able to maintain a regular exercise program.”

Beier, who lives in North Hollywood, first picked up a basketball when Herbert Hoover was President. He has watched the game change over the years, but said he still sticks to the fundamentals and concentrates on defense.

“My hands are still pretty quick,” Beier said. “Some of the guys think I’m a dirty player, but I stop a lot of drives.”

Beier, however, is not a one-dimensional player. His all-around game could best be described as a mixture of the old and the new.

“His shot reminds me of Bob Cousy’s,” said Scott Howard, who plays regularly at Olive Park. “He can throw that no-look pass like Magic. Al has a good knack for making that extra pass and getting the ball inside.

“Even in the physical aspect of the game, he still ranks up with the best of them here.”

Beier isn’t a one-sport athlete, either. He enjoys skiing and swimming, but basketball remains his passion.

“I need basketball to clear the fog out of my brain,” Beier said. “I need an outward display to shake the cobwebs loose.

“Unlike jogging, basketball is not boring. It keeps the mind active, presents a challenge and develops a skill.”