says he used the n-word vandalism incident at his Brentwood home to warn his children about racism ... revealing he turned the hate crime into a teachable moment.
We broke the story ... a racial slur was spray-painted on the front gate of LeBron's L.A. home on May 31.
In an interview with GQ, LBJ discussed the incident that happened in "one of the best f***ing neighborhoods in America" ... saying, "True colors will show, and it showed for me during the playoffs."
James says he talked to his children about what happened, and made an effort to turn the situation into a positive.