Danny Granger is willing to submerge his ego and relinquish the Indiana Pacers’ franchise-player role to Paul George.

Granger recently returned after a nine-month hiatus caused by a knee tendon injury.

“I think the biggest deal about it is the assumptions since I was coming back that there’d be a competition between us, when it’s actually the opposite,” Granger said. “The way he can break defenses down, the way he can create, I can just stand, catch and shoot, drive – it makes my job easier. He’s coming in at such a young age – he’s 22 now – I’m going to be 30 in a month and a half.

“I have no problem – I’ve been in the league eight years – I have no problem passing the mantle to him, to leave the team to Roy (Hibbert) and George.

“My whole team I watched get drafted. I’ve watched all of them grow. So I have no problem passing the mantle. At all.”

Granger has helped foster a true team environment.

“Sometimes on NBA teams you’ve got guys competing with each other,” Granger said. “That’s the thing about our team. We compete against the other team. Whoever’s scoring, whoever’s playing, whoever’s passing the ball, whoever’s doing whatever, we’re rooting for that person. I think Frank Vogel, he did a good job of instilling that in all of us. Play for your teammates.”