Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James has drawn attention this week not for his play, but for Instagram posts from the parents of his former girlfriend, Parker Whitfield.

Actor Dondre Whitfield marked his daughter’s 22nd birthday with Instagram photos of the celebration and the caption “The forever man in your life.”

Meanwhile, Parker’s mother, producer Salli Richardson-Whitfield, followed with her own message: “Don’t ever worry about the people who are incapable of seeing what a shining star you are because your world is gonna be filled with so much love and light, all the negative things will fall to the curb.”

The timing and language quickly invited speculation that the posts were a response to the couple’s recent breakup.

New York Post writer Grant Young argued that the father’s wording in particular sounded like reassurance after a split.

“This sounds like the sort of thing a father would say to reassure his daughter after she had gone through a breakup,” Young wrote. He added that certainty is impossible, yet “it seems likely, given the wording and the birthday’s timing.”

Young also noted that James had publicly shown Parker love on her 21st birthday a year earlier and stayed silent this time.

The personal episode arrives as James prepares for what could be a more visible season with the Lakers. With LeBron James, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard no longer on the roster, the third-year guard is expected to have a larger role.

Of course, what that actually means for James remains to be seen.

Last season, Bronny averaged just 2.9 points over 8.9 minutes per game on 40.9/38.6/85.7 shooting splits. While his three-point shooting was solid, the rest of his production left much to be desired.

The Lakers have insisted all along that they view James as a developmental piece rather than someone they simply kept around for LeBron James.

Now that LeBron is in Philadelphia, we’ll see how Los Angeles actually perceives Bronny.