His next season was cut short when he broke his foot for the second time in his career, which Yao said decreased his jumping ability by four to six inches (10 to 15 cm).
Musim berikutnya sempat tidak diikutinya karena ia cedera kaki untuk kedua kalinya dalam karier, Yao berkata bahwa kemampuan lompatannya berkurang dari 6 kaki menjadi 4 kaki (15 ke 10 cm).