First came the smart phone and then eventually the Internet of Things took off, giving us smart thermostats and smart refrigerators. Now, welcome to the world of the smart jersey. That's right, for $110 or $200, you can buy a Nike NBA replica jersey of your favorite player that connects to your mobile phone.

The tag on the jersey, when viewed with your Android or Apple mobile phone using the NikeConnect app, will bombard you with a wealth of NBA marketing as well as all kinds of highlights, stats, and team and player information. It also provides marketers with the Holy Grail of advertising opportunities. Once the jersey is activated, Nike knows who bought the jersey, where that buyer lives, and where and when the jersey was scanned.

Video gamers are also enticed to buy these new jerseys. Fans get a so-called "boost" code to use on the NBA2K18 video game by Take-Two Interactive. The code gives an in-game boost to the player whose jersey was purchased, putting him into beast mode.

"Launching on September 29, this innovative marriage of apparel and digital technology gives NikePlus members and NBA fans access to incredible product, customized content and exclusive experiences through the NikeConnect logo on their jersey’s jock tag," Nike says.

Nike says tapping the tag will give you team and player content including "pregame arrival footage and highlight packages." Better still, "Tap in on game day to get additional access to exclusive offers" from the app's "Offers" tab. Other "to-be-announced experiences" are coming soon. Scanning the tag also shows a countdown to the next time your favorite team plays and updates a chosen player's stats during a game and provides game highlights as well.

Nike has an eight-year jersey deal with the NBA valued at about $1 billion.