The Lakers spent $99.9 million in salary this season for a roster that went 45-37. Additionally, the team will pay $29.6 million in luxury taxes -- a total of $129.5 million to get into the playoffs and suffer a first-round sweep by the San Antonio Spurs.

HOOPSWORLD.com has a detailed breakdown of the Lakers' team salary.

Injuries were the major hindrance for the Lakers, who finished the regular season with a 28-12 record in their last 40 games. By the time the playoffs arrived, the Lakers had a skeleton crew on the floor, especially in the backcourt, playing without guards Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Steve Blake, Jodie Meeks and forward Metta World Peace.

The Miami Heat had the second-highest payroll at $83.4 million, paying $13.1 million in tax for a total of $96.6 million. Conversely, the Phoenix Suns spent the least amount of money this season at $53.2 million for the entire roster.

Dwight Howard ($19.5 million), Pau Gasol ($19.0 million) and Bryant ($27.8 million) combined to make...

"I came to L.A. because of Phil Jackson, Kobe [Bryant] reminded me of [Michael] Jordan, Lamar [Odom] reminded me of [Scottie] Pippen and it was just the [Chicago] Bulls all over again," said World Peace.  "The Bulls were my favorite team growing up."

He also commented that the comparison between Bryant and Jordan takes away from the team nature of the game.

"It's about the wins," said World Peace.  "It's not about the individual."

The veteran forward averaged 12.4 points a game for the Lakers this season but was limited throughout the playoffs because of a knee injury.

"I thought we had a great team and a chance to win the championship this year," he said.  "The other teams were better than us. That's exactly what happened."

World Peace was optimistic about the Lakers' chances next season.

"It takes chemistry. It takes teamwork....

Starting May 21, Staples Center, Nokia Plaza and the rest of the at LA Live complex will offer free Wi-Fi.

“We are incredibly excited to launch our own Wi-Fi network designed and powered by our partners at Verizon and that we are able to provide our guests with a high-quality connectivity Wi-Fi experience,” said Lee Zeidman, who is senior vice president and general manager of Staples Center, Nokia Theatre and LA Live.

Wi-Fi will be available throughout the entire arena including seats, suites and locker rooms, officials said.

Guests can access the new service by selecting "VerizonWiFi" from the list of available networks.

Staples Center is home to the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Sparks.

ALSO:

'Eleven Rings:' Phil Jackson savors beating the Celtics in 2010

Phil Jackson recalls his non-hiring by the Lakers on 'Tonight Show'

'Eleven Rings:' Phil Jackson learned how to talk to Metta World Peace

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.

Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson visited Jay Leno on the "Tonight Show" on Thursday night to promote his upcoming book "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success."

Jackson described his brief flirtation with returning to the Lakers early in the season.

"They fired the coach, Mike Brown," said Jackson.  "I had no idea they were going to come after me, but Jeanie [Buss] comes home and she says, 'Will you talk to my brother. '"

Jim Buss runs the Lakers' basketball operations department while his sister Jeanie, also Jackson's fiancee, is in charge of the team's business operations.

"The next day, [Jim and I] sit and talk for an hour and 15 minutes," Jackson recalled.  "I said, 'I can coach this team. I have no doubts about it. Physically I'm OK but I just don't know if I'm ready to step back into this. Give me a weekend to think about it.'"

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak, who was in the meeting, gave Jackson notice that the team would need to continue talking to other candidates.

"I...

Phil Jackson won 11 titles as an NBA coach, but the Lakers' victory in seven games over the Boston Celtics in 2010 stands out as his favorite.

"For me, this was the most gratifying victory of my career," writes Jackson in his upcoming book, "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success."

"It had been a trying season marred by inconsistency and troublesome injuries, but in the end the players were a study in courage and teamwork," the Lakers' former coach said.

Jackson and the Lakers fell in 2008 to the Celtics in the NBA Finals.  The team rebounded in 2009, defeating the Orlando Magic for their fourth title in the Jackson era.

The Lakers overcame a 3-2 deficit in 2010 before winning the final two games over the Celtics at Staples Center.

"Beyond the thrill of capturing another ring, there was something deeply satisfying about putting the Celtics' curse behind us with a triumphant victory in our own house," writes Jackson in his memoir (written with Hugh Delehanty for Penguin Press, and available...

It took some time for former Lakers' coach Phil Jackson to learn how to communicate with Metta World Peace (formerly known as Ron Artest).

"My major concern about Ron was whether he could learn the triangle offense fast enough. Like Dennis Rodman, Ron had a hard time staying focused," writes Jackson in his upcoming memoir, "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success."

World Peace joined the Lakers for the 2009-10 season, ultimately helping the team win the title over the Boston Celtics.

"Why are you always picking on me?" asked World Peace after Jackson gave him some early advice on his shooting style.

"I didn't know I was picking on you," replied Jackson.  "I'm just trying to help you along."

Jackson's assistant Brian Shaw pulled him aside with a warning, "You're walking a dangerous line there, Phil."

Taking Shaw's advice, Jackson learned a different approach to getting through to World Peace.

"After that incident, I realized that the best way to communicate with Ron was to couch everything in...

Phil Jackson was just messing with us, once again.

The wily former coach of the Lakers and Chicago Bulls wrote a book in 2004 that was called "The Last Season."

It seemed true at the time, but the legendary leader came back for a six-year run with the Lakers and highlighted it in his new memoir available next Tuesday, "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success."

Jackson often refused to compare Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, but he does so on several occasions in his new book, co-written with Hugh Delehanty and published by Penguin Press.

It's pretty easy to figure out who Jackson was referencing in the following passage: "In his mind he had it all figured out. His goal was to become the greatest basketball player of all time. And he was certain he knew what he had to do to get there. Why should he listen to anybody else? If he followed my advice and cut back his scoring, he'd fall short of his ultimate goal. How was I going to get through to this kid?"

It wasn’t Jordan.

As a young 20-...

Former Lakers assistant coach Eddie Jordan recently left the team to become head coach at  Rutgers.

Jordan was brought in by Mike Brown to help teach the Lakers a version of the Princeton offense but Brown was let go five games into the regular season.

“When I was hired there, there was no Dwight Howard and there was no Steve Nash, and Mike Brown said, 'I want you to help me with the offense,'" Jordan said in an interview with Michael Lee of the Washington Post.  "We went through the preseason running principles of the Princeton offense that Kobe [Bryant] had asked about and that Mike Brown presented to Kobe,  and they agreed it was good for the Lakers."

The Lakers acquired Howard during the off-season, but he missed half of training camp as he while recovering from back surgery. Nash suffered a leg fracture in the second game of the season.

"The 0-8 preseason, we weren’t concerned about winning, we wanted to get guys in tune," continued Jordan.  "Then Nash got hurt, then...

A 1992 interview with Wilt Chamberlain has been brought to life via animation as part of the PBS Digital Studio's "Blank on Blank" series.

David Gerlach, a former television producer and print journalist, has created a series bringing previously unheard interview tapes to audiences.

The 7-foot-1 Chamberlain played with the Lakers from 1968 to 1973, winning the NBA championship in 1972. He recalls the difficulty of being 7-feet tall as a teenager.

"Can you imagine going through America at that time, a man of color, a little boy of 14-years old at that height? I was looked upon as a freak," Chamberlain said in an interview with Ann Liguori. "Today when you see someone of my size ... people think sports, basketball, dollar signs. They don't think circus freak or what have you."

Chamberlain's size, speed and athleticism helped him become one of the most dominant players in the history of the league.

"They cast me as the villain everywhere I went," Chamberlain said. "Villains are kind of...

For those with a strong stomach, Kobe Bryant on Tuesday tweeted a graphic picture of his Achilles' surgery.

The image, posted through Instagram, is a striking reminder that Bryant suffered the most significant injury of his career, tearing the tendon on April 12 in a win over the Golden State Warriors.

He had surgery the following day.

The Lakers project that Bryant will be out a minimum of six months. On Tuesday, he was getting treatment at the team's facility.

Naturally, Bryant expects to return on the early side of the time line, but that may or may not be realistic.

The all-star guard is going into the final year of his contract worth $30.5 million.

ALSO:

New D-Fenders Coach Mark Madsen sets ambitious goals

Lakers assistant Steve Clifford draws interest around league

Pau Gasol confirms he's out for European Championship in Slovenia

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.

Lakers forward-center Pau Gasol confirmed Tuesday that he will sit out September's European Championship in Slovenia.

Gasol, a star with Spain's national team, is recovering from a knee procedure that should have him sidelined for at least another 11 weeks.

"In order to avoid future problems, on May 9 I underwent a simple procedure to debride degenerated tissue of the patellar tendons of my knees non-surgically," Gasol wrote on his website.

"My priority is to recover myself thinking [of] next season [with the Lakers]," he continued.  "And to be ready, if I'm asked to, for the next challenge with the national team, the World Cup of Spain 2014."

Gasol is heading into the final year of his Lakers contract that will play him $19.3 million next season.

The Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs after a 45-37 season. Gasol missed 33 games with a variety of health issues (knees, foot and concussion).

ALSO:

New D-Fenders Coach Mark Madsen sets ambitious goals

Lakers...

Mark Madsen was introduced Tuesday as the new head coach of the D-Fenders, the Lakers' D-League affiliate.

"It's great to be back here in Los Angeles," Madsen said. "The L.A. D-Fenders, in its short history, has a rich tradition of developing players, helping to develop the Lakers' players and of winning."

Madsen was drafted by the Lakers in 2000, winning rings in 2001 and 2002. After three years with the franchise, Madsen joined the Minnesota Timberwolves, with whom he played through 2009.

He next served as an assistant coach for the D-League's Utah Flash, followed by a stint on the bench at Stanford (where he also earned his MBA).

"From a young age, I always kind of had coaching in the back of my mind," Madsen said. "I love everything about coaching."

Madsen is taking over for Reggie Theus, who left to become head coach at Cal State Northridge.

"The goal is twofold: win the D-League championship and have as many guys called up to NBA teams" as possible, Madsen said. "[Additionally,...