China's CCTV has announced that they plan on broadcasting Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, marking the first time an NBA game has been aired live in the country in nearly one year.

CCTV once shared a close relationship with the NBA. The state-run network started carrying NBA games back in the 1990's. However, tension created by a tweet from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey led the broadcast company to withdraw from its interest in the NBA.

Morey appeared to support the protests that were taking place in Hong Kong in October of 2019. In an official statement, CCTV noted the NBA's aid in fighting COVID-19 in the country as a reason for restoring broadcasts.

Via ESPN's Brian Windhorst:

“During the recent Chinese National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, the NBA sent their well wishes to fans in China,” CCTV said in a statement. “We also took note of the league has been continuously delivering goodwill [to China], particularly making positive contributions to Chinese people's fight against COVID-19 pandemic.”

The NBA did not offer an immediate response to this statement from CCTV, but this is clearly a solid step towards restoring their relationship. China has been an important fanbase for the NBA for some time. In February, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver noted that the league was facing more than $300 million in losses as several Chinese companies pulled their support.

Game 5 between the Lakers and Heat is scheduled to tip at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday night, with ABC having live broadcast coverage. Looking for a 17th championship, Los Angeles is currently leading the series by a count of three games to one.