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Magic Johnson has never talked about it before ... but he wanted to open up about his gay son and the implications that Earvin Johnson III's coming out will have in the black community, in the sports community and in their lives.

TMZ sat down with the NBA legend for an unbelievably candid interview -- we've divided the video into three parts:

1) How Magic went to his son around the age of 13 and asked, "Are you gay?" Magic explains why he felt the need to approach his kid and the importance of letting EJ know his whole family loved and supported him.

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2) Magic tells us how he feels about some of the hateful reactions to EJ's coming out on African-American blogs and whether he's bitter, given his unparalleled support of the black community.

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3) Magic talks about how his son's coming out could inspire professional athletes to follow suit. Harvey also asks Magic how, as the owner of the L.A. Dodgers, he would react to a player coming out.

You gotta watch Magic -- he's awesome and inspiring.