[fullmetal]

Yao's issues stemmed from his size (and therefore weight/stress placed on his feet) and also his early regimen of training back in the nearly-literal Stone Age of Chinese elite sport physiology: they made everyone run--a lot.  You may guess that centers don't do so well when running as much as guards need to run.  I would trace all his foot/leg-related medical issues to the amount of stress placed on his legs by constant running in China.

To the topic at hand, the evolution of bigger, faster (more powerful) players has placed greater strain on athletes' feet as a link in the chain of power transmission from athlete to ground.

[fullmetal]

Yao's issues stemmed from his size (and therefore weight/stress placed on his feet) and also his early regimen of training back in the nearly-literal Stone Age of Chinese elite sport physiology: they made everyone run--a lot.  You may guess that centers don't do so well when running as much as guards need to run.  I would trace all his foot/leg-related medical issues to the amount of stress placed on his legs by constant running in China.

To the topic at hand, the evolution of bigger, faster (more powerful) players has placed greater strain on athletes' feet as a link in the chain of power transmission from athlete to ground.