Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady, two of the most exciting NBA players in the past 15 years, both declared their retirement last week. Their retirements have been anticipated for years, and the announcement did not really surprise a lot of people.

Now that it's official, the next question is whether they will be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Both players have had colorful careers and great achievements. They have also had a solid fanbase. On the downside, they have also had inglorious ends to their careers.

Tracy McGrady is known as one of the best one-on-one scorers of his generation. He was a scoring champion two times, and was considered a top franchise player for about five years. However, his career hit a very steep decline. T-Mac gained a reputation of being talented but uncoachable. This observation was validated by the fact that he has never led any of his teams past the first-round of the NBA playoffs.

Allen Iverson's case is much more solid. He has won an MVP award and has gone to the NBA Finals, losing to the phenomenal Los Angeles Lakers in 2001. His career also went on a steep decline, and was quickly seen as a cancer for any team. Iverson has had brushes with the law all throughout his career, and his recent appearances at the headlines were all about his personal woes.

Should these players be on the Basketball Hall of Fame? Were their achievements enough?

For one thing, personal woes are not considered. This is basketball and the criterion is based on their game. While some positive personal achievements are considered, the opposite should not be true. However, some critics will reiterate that it's the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Good. The standards should be kept high.

It will take years before this question is answered. For now, the debate continues.