By all appearances, Deron Williams has enjoyed the trappings of life as an NBA superstar. He has a five-year deal with the Nets worth $99 million. He spent his summer hobnobbing with fellow Olympians in London, where he helped Team USA win gold. In New York, companies looking to hawk everything from telephones to energy drinks have lined up to throw money at him, hoping to sign him as a celebrity pitchman. And lest we forget, he's friends with Jay-Z.

For most human beings, this would be enough. Not Williams, whose wide-ranging...