Indiana Pacers star player Paul George doesn't really need to prove anything as far as talent is concerned.

But when it comes to playing for your country, he may be up against tough competition. With possible candidates swelling each year, such is a reason why a USA Basketball mini-cam slated this August (11-13) is held in Las Vegas.

This year George will be skipping camp, as he looks out for his overall health and not try to overdo it.

George is on the comeback trail after suffering a freak accident last year during a Team USA scrimmage. It will be recalled that George broke his leg when he landed awkwardly. Such resulted in the Pacers star being sidelined for most of the previous NBA season though he was able to suit up in the last couple of games for the Pacers.

For the record, George did suffer a calf strain during the Pacers last game and it seems that he is still trying to recover from that added injury. Had the Pacers advanced, George may have likely not seen action for Indiana.

 Regardless of his decision to pass on the upcoming mini-camp, George is still hoping that he can get a slot on the USA team. Despite bad memories last year, George can be a valuable asset to the squad though questions could crop up on his current state of conditioning and how he can fit into the team system.

George knows how what it means to represent the country and despite last year's unfortunate debacle, the Pacers star still wants a crack at playing for the United States.

Could the Pacers prevent him from playing?

Apparently George has talked about it with Larry Bird and the Pacers organization and according to him, they have his back.

"…Injuries are a part of the game. The last thing I'll do is let that keep me from making a dream happen. No hard feelings towards none of the situation. It's part of the game" says George during an interview with Vigilant Sports.

Check out the video for George's full interview.