How I met your gay basketball player

JTA — Jason Collins, who made history by being the first active NBA player to come out as gay, had a very funny, very Jewish teammate at Harvard-Westlake High in Southern California — Jason Segel.

In the flurry of reporting that followed the breaking of the Collins story, Sports Illustrated dug up a 1996 team photo in which the “How I Met Your Mother” actor is standing right by the Washington Wizards center and his twin brother, Jarron. While Segel wasn’t the Wolverines’ biggest talent, he was known for his humor and theatrics. His big personality was even documented in a 1996 Los Angeles Times story about the squad.

“During Harvard’s two-week East Coast trip in December, Segel wowed a Florida crowd with a two-handed slam made with the front of his jersey pulled over his head,” the L.A. Times wrote. “Before the dunk, Segel stood poised, calling for silence with outstretched arms. After the dunk, he dove headfirst into the stands.”

In more Segel news, The New York Times reported that he will be writing a series of books for middle schoolers for Random House.

“Ultimately, it’s a story about learning that we can accomplish anything, as long as we are brave enough to try,” Segel said of the “Nightmares!” adventure series, which will center on a bunch of kids out to rescue their neighborhood from fear.