Much like Kentucky Derby betting players who come to find out that a favorite horse has to be put down, basketball betting players watched on Tuesday night as Dikembe Mutumbo went down in the first quarter of Houston’s loss to Portland. Mutumbo got tangled up with the Trailblazers’ Greg Oden and came down on his left leg, and he immediately clutched at his knee. Mutumbo now says his basketball career is over, and it’s a shame that it had to end like that.

Mutumbo will be go down as one of the best defensive players of all time, winning Defensive Player of the Year four times, leading the league in blocks five times, four times in rebounding, and he was an eight-time All-Star. As great of a player as he was, he may be better remembered for his philanthropic efforts around the league and in his country of Congo.

So what does this mean for Houston’s basketball betting chances? As the oldest player in the league at 42, Mutumbo still gave the Rockets valuable minutes off the bench when Yao Ming needed a spell, and their interior defense also took a hit. Mutumbo was also one of the most well-liked players in the Houston locker room, and many Rockets said how tough it was to watch his career end on a stretcher. However, they could use this as inspiration, so don’t avoid the Rockets’ basketball betting odds just yet.