Bill Russell Lawsuit: Will Former NBA Star Change Landscape of College Sports?

Who could have seen this one coming?

Former Boston Celtics star and University of San Francisco standout Bill Russell is joining a lawsuit to sue the NCAA for making a profit off his image while he receives nothing in return, according to Bloomberg.

Bloomberg was able to obtain a copy of the e-mail sent from the attorney for Russell and former players, confirming Russell's inclusion in the lawsuit:

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Bill Russell, one of the greatest NCAA, NBA and Olympic basketball players in history, joins the lawsuit brought by Ed O’Bannon alleging that the NCAA has violated federal antitrust law by unlawfully foreclosing former Division I men’s basketball and football players from receiving any compensation related to the commercial use of their images and likenesses.

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Bloomberg also points out that Russell is suing EA Sports for using his image in a "Tournament of Champions" mode in their video games.

This could change the entire landscape of college athletics.

The argument behind paying college players has long been debated, and this would be a step in the right direction for players looking to cash in when they go to college.

This could be a disaster for colleges that don't have the bankroll to be able to pay these players. Smaller school such as TCU, Boise State, Butler and Gonzaga come to mind as schools that would be most affected by something like that being instituted.

Now, before anyone gets carried away, this lawsuit does not assure that college athletes are going to be paid, but simply that they will be paid a portion of the sales that the NCAA makes off of them.

For example, all of the video and pictures released following a school winning a National Championship.

Either way, if Russell and his crew win this lawsuit, the groundwork will have been laid for a lawsuit that seeks to gain a salary for student athletes.