Before the season, several commentators, including Bill Simmons and Dick Vitale, predicted that Yao would fail in the NBA, and Charles Barkley said he would "kiss ass" if Yao scored more than 19 points in one of his rookie-season games.
Sebelum musim tersebut, beberapa komentator, termasuk Bill Simmons dan Dick Vitale, memperkirakan bahwa Yao akan gagal di NBA, dan Charles Barkley berkata bahwa ia akan "mencium pantat " jika Yao mendapatkan lebih dari 19 poin dalam salah satu pertandingan musim awalnya.